Slate Refund’s campaign platform, based solely on
refunding students their quarterly Undergraduate Students
Association fee, would require several steps in order to
permanently eliminate the fee.
The $39.91 quarterly Undergraduate Students Association fee can
only be removed through an undergraduate student referendum passed
by two-thirds of voters. That measure would be subject to final
approval by the chancellor, and at the chancellor’s
discretion, approval of the University of California president,
said
Associated Students UCLA Director of Student Support Services
Jerry Mann.
In addition, a referendum can only be taken to a student vote
with a two-thirds approval by the Undergraduate Students
Association Council. Slate Refund would need all nine of its
candidates to win in order to gain a two-thirds majority on the
13-seat council.
Candidates who are members of Students First! and Bruins United
have not expressed support for the refund plan, nor have some
independents.
Slate Refund’s platform comes without precedent: No UCLA
student group or candidate has ever tried to refund or decrease
Undergraduate Students Association fees, said USAC Administrative
Representative Rick Tuttle, who has sat on the council for over 20
years.
Robert Naples, dean of students, declined to comment on
specifics of the campaign platform, but said administrators would
research the possibility of refunding student money if USAC members
make such a proposal.
Slate Refund presidential candidate Garin Hovannisian, a
third-year history student and former Daily Bruin columnist, said
he believes two-thirds of students would pass a refund referendum.
He also said he isn’t worried about the chancellor approving
a referendum.
Hovannisian said if he is elected, he will explore ways to
immediately refund fees to students. He mentioned the possibility
of writing checks or refunding money online through students’
BAR accounts.
If elected, Slate Refund candidates plan to carry out the refund
process in two steps: First, they plan to refund students their
Undergraduate Students Association fees for the 2006-2007 academic
year. Second, they plan to permanently reduce these student fees to
zero.
The elimination of mandatory Undergraduate Students Association
fees would remove a major function of USAC: funding student
groups.
All mandatory Undergraduate Students Association fees currently
being paid were approved by votes of undergraduate students through
referenda in previous USAC elections.
Slate Refund believes students should not have to pay the
Undergraduate Students Association fee because they should be given
the chance to decide what to spend their money on, Hovannisian
said.
There is already a mechanism in place for students to get some
of their campus fees back after they have been paid.
Since 1993, students may apply for a fee refund if they believe
their money is used to directly fund programs which engage in
political, religious or ideological activities.
The UC Office of the President has established guidelines in
accordance with the 1993 California Supreme Court decision
“Smith v. Regents” and the 1995 U.S. Supreme Court
decision “Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the
University of Virginia,” which requires mandatory fees
received by registered student groups be used on a content-neutral
basis.
Hovannisian said canceling student government fees would not
dissolve student government.
He said USAC would retain its function as a liaison between
students and student groups as well as a guide and resource for
students.
USAC uses mandatory student fees to fund a variety of entities
including USAC offices, student outreach programs, student lobby
trips and membership dues to the University of California Student
Association and United States Students Association.
Current Financial Supports Commissioner Ryan Smeets said
refunding student fees is possible, but was skeptical the
referendum would be approved.
“Students who turn out to vote in general elections are
involved in student groups and are active on campus,” Smeets
said. “Those students will see their funding
threatened.”
The fees were last raised by $6.50 in 2005 following the
approval of a student referendum to help fund over 100 campus-based
community service organizations including the Community Service
Commission and Campus Retention Center.
Prior to 1982, undergraduate students had to pay $8 per quarter
in Undergraduate Students Association fees. Over the past 20 years,
the fee has been raised to $39.91 per quarter via eight different
election referenda.