Nick LowreyReporter

A proposed $6 increase in the fee could help fund the Wellness Center and PAC expansions, which are currently being considered by SDSU.

Students might have to pay a higher activity fee next year to help cover costs for additions to some campus buildings.

The Students’ Association is considering raising the General Activity Fee by $6.

The current fee, which costs about $25 per credit, helps pay for a variety of student activities including intramural sports, health services, the University Program Council and admission to sporting events.

The money raised is intended for additions to the Wellness Center and the Performing Arts Center. It also might be used for adding office space in The Union for student organizations.

“We can create a real student atmosphere and a real student office, so that we can all come together and work collaboratively on projects,” said SA Vice President Erin Kennedy.

SA President Brett Monson explained the need for the fee raise, citing the popularity of the Wellness Center and the age of the PAC.

“We kind of took a poll with our senators and thought that the Wellness Center expansion was a huge need on campus,” Monson said, “as are the needs to enlarge the PAC and also space for student organizations.”

“Students have been requesting an expansion to the Wellness Center for well over a year,” Kennedy said. “The PAC expansion has been talked about for 3 or 4 years [as well]”.

For the GAF to be raised, the Students’ Association will have to pass a resolution to circulate a petition around the student body. The association must then present the petition to the Board of Regents at their meeting on March 31.

The Student Senate is currently waiting for more information on the cost of the expansions so that students will be given time to read the resolution before beginning the official process.

“We’re going to be passing a resolution as soon as we can get some numbers hammered out,” Monson said.

“Before we can even go before the BOR we’ll have to get signatures from students saying that these are things that we want,” Kennedy said.

There is some opposition to the proposal and one concern is that raising the fee will shift focus away from academics.

According to the Admissions office, SDSU’s general activities fee is currently one of the lowest for South Dakota public universities. Raising the fee by $6 would still keep costs below most schools in the area.