TAMIU Schedules Student Fee Hearings Nov. 18-19, 23, 30
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Nov 18, 2009, 0 Comments
Courtesy Steve Harmon,
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) officials are encouraging students to attend student-fee hearings scheduled throughout November to learn about proposed tuition and fees for the 2010-11 school year.
The hearings are Wednesday, Nov. 18 at noon in the Student Center Rotunda and Thursday, Nov. 19 at 12:30 p.m., also in the Rotunda. Additional hearings will be held Monday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m. in the Kinesiology, Wellness and Recreation Center (KWRC) room 129 and Monday, Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. in KWRC 131. Proposed fees include a flat-rate recreation sports fee and a food service area expansion and remodel fee.
The flat-rate recreation sports fee would change the current per semester credit hour fee to a flat $48 fee per semester, resulting in no increase, and in some cases, a fee reduction for students taking 12 or more hours, about 59 percent of TAMIU students in an average semester.
The fee will provide for the purchase and maintenance of equipment in the University’s popular Kinesiology, Wellness and Recreation Center (KWRC). The fee may also be used for the future construction of intramural fields or sports facilities such as racquetball courts available to all students.
The food service area expansion and remodel fee increases the Student Center fee by $3 per semester credit hour and the cap to 15 semester credit hours. It will be used to remodel the area currently occupied by the bookstore into a larger food service area in order to provide better service and increase seating.
By law, Student Centers can only be built or remodeled with Student Center fees, not State fees. State fees can only be used for most other campus construction projects. Current fees are used to pay the bond on the original construction of the building. Fees generated by this may be used for future remodels of the Student Center, possibly including the creation of a large open computer lab exclusively for the use of current students.
TAMIU student Alfredo Jimenez said he understands the need for both proposed fees.
“This fee (proposed flat-rate recreation sport) will create a balanced fee in which all students pay a flat fee for the same services… it will still remain lower than any basic local gym membership cost, but still offers students services that would be considered membership extras in any other gym. On the student center fee, anyone who has entered the Student Center food service area during peak time knows that a larger seating area is needed. This fee will enable TAMIU food services to adapt to the influx of students that in recent years have made TAMIU their choice,” Jimenez noted.
After the hearings have concluded, currently enrolled students will cast their votes online beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1, concluding at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3. If the fees are passed, they would take effect Fall 2010.
