Students will have the opportunity to vote on a new $6 fee that will contribute to the construction of a new Student Services/Activities Center in the upcoming student elections starting on Friday, May 20.

The Associated Student Organization (ASO) came up with the concept of this new fee, which would be paid by each student enrolled in six units or more, in order to help with the new Student Services/Activities Center construction.

“The six-dollar fee will be known as our Student Center fee,” Sana Vaiyani, student services officer, said. “So all the students every semester would have to pay six dollars and that money will be contributed to building a new Student Services/Activities Center.”

Fee increase allows students to fund new building

The proposal will be presented in the upcoming student elections, which runs from May 20 to May 26.

“The bill is in the Education Code,” Celina Luna student trustee officer said. “It’s designed to give students an opportunity to fund construction for their own Activity Center.”

The $6 fee would be a separate yearly fee, which students would be required to pay much like the health fee.

“It (the fee) will only be charged during the duration of the complex being built,” Luna said. “It will only be charged until they’ve covered enough money to build this new building, which is estimated at two million dollars.”

The Education Code allows students to be charged up to $10 to contribute to the construction of the new building.

“The Education Code states that it can be up to one dollar per unit with a cap at ten, and we’d get the money faster if we charged ten, but six dollars is a lot fairer than ten,” Luna said.

New building funded by bond Measure E

A portion of the new building is being funded by bond Measure E, which will provide a certain amount of funds.

Measure E, passed on Nov. 5, 2002, provides funds allowing EC to upgrade conditions on campus such as: classrooms reparations, more advanced instructional equipment, and health and safety repairs.

“The bond measure does have money set aside for the Student Activities Center, but it is not enough to make it on the same caliber as other student unions,” Luna said.

Fee approval requires student consent

In order for the bill to pass, more than 3,500 students must cast a vote and of those 3,500 votes, two thirds of the vote must be “yes” votes on the issue.

The building will incorporate the Student Services Center, the Student Activities Center and the Cafeteria into one building.

“The plan right now consists of having a food court and a union area,” Luna said. “They wanted to incorporate all the various aspects like counseling, admissions and everything else into one building.”

The building is planned to undergo construction by 2006.

“In order for this building to get where it should be and to be sustainable for the future, then we’re going to need that additional two million dollars from the students or it’s going to be a bare-bones building,” Luna said.

“If students donate six dollars to the funding of this building, there are going to be more perks,” Vaiyani said. “So if we don’t get the extra money the building is not going to be as great as it could be.”