Christopher Keating
Staff Writer
A proposed $9 increase for the 1982-83 Associated Students Federation (ASF) fees was defeated in an election Nov. 17 and 19.
Exact vote counts were not available, but ASF Forum Chairperson Dan Hayward said that there was a substantial majority opposed to the fee increase. He speculated that the reason for the proposal’s defeat was lack of publicity by the Forum, a problem caused by pressure from the University, and the state of California.
Due to what he called “pressures beyond our control,” the Forum scheduled the election without advance publicity, so that, according to Hayward, students were voting on a measure that they were not acquainted with. He said that the Forum was asked to set the student body fee by the California financial aid office so that if could prepare the index for La Verne’s financial aid for the next year.
Forum members voted Monday to propose an increase of $7 to the student body in another election in early February. The new increase is a compromise set among the Forum members, who Hayward said, all agreed that a fee increase is needed.
ASF Accountant Dana Jones said that without the increase, there will be a substantial decrease in the types of services and activities that ASF will be able to provide. Jones said that perhaps the first casualty of ASF cutbacks could well be the Lambda Yearbook, produced largely with money collected in the student body fee.
“Students have to realize that the fee increase is important, otherwise we won’t see a yearbook,” said David White, Forum member and editor of the Lambda.
Hayward said that the Forum’s original intent was to propose a fee increase that represented the cost of living plus the cost of better quality programs.
“In the past, fee increases have covered only the cost of living in creases,” said Hayward, adding that this year the Forum wanted to meet the cost of living plus the level of activities.”
According to Jones, few students realize that all money collected by ASF goes directly into activities.
“There is a very short funnel back to students,” Jones said. He added that ASF funds programs like the Christmas dinner, the Language/Literature Department’s Prism Magazine, speakers and other activities.
Although this year’s yearbook will show the signs of cost cutbacks, White said that without the additional funds for next year, the book will be changed.
Lambda will cost somewhere around $12,000, said White. Of that sum $10,000 will be provided from the Forum, while the remainder will have to come from the $5 per book that is being charged to those who order them.
