By Mariella Roque & Julia Duba / FIUSM Staff
Following hearings with students and faculty, the Capital Improvement Trust Fund committee cast a vote approving a general CITF fee increase of $2, 5-1.
Pablo Haspel, SGA president at BBC and committee member voted against the amount. “[If we approve the $2 increase], it would set a trend for [future] committees to increase it every year,” Haspel said.
The committee was made up of three staff members and three students; Nancy Hernandez, director of International Student and Scholar Services at BBC, Robert Frye, director of Recreation Services at MMC, Mariela Gabaroni, assistant director of University Health Services, Liana Sippin, senator at large and CITF committee member, Cristina Loreto, senator at large, and Haspel.
“I’m not sure if the students will respond well to the $2 increase,” Sippin said.
Bill Beesting, associate dean of undergraduate education and the CITF committee chairperson, as well as Jim Wassenaar, executive director of Student Affairs Operations and Auxiliary Services, and Dr. Rosa Jones, vice president of student affairs, explained the fee and its implications in detail with the use of a PowerPoint.
“All universities are eager to have this [opportunity],” Jones said. “We need the dollars.”
The $2 increase is estimated to generate about $2 million that would go into the CITF.
“The reality is that these dollars ultimately produce outcomes that are responsive to [the students’] agenda for [their] own quality of life on campus,” Wassenaar said. “We’re looking at a university that is growing rapidly.”
The CITF committee held a hearing on Monday to students and staff at MMC and BBC regarding the proposed increase.
According to Bee sting, “the reason [the hearing was held] so late… is because [they] were waiting to see if the governor would veto it” and the committee had to send out a public notice of the issue 30 days prior to the Board of Trustees meeting.
Governor Rick Scott recently approved a bill allowing University committees to vote on the increase that would be then approved by the University president and brought before the Board of Trustees in June, and the Board of Governors.
The CITF fee, which funds “construction and renovation of student buildings,” is currently $4.76 per credit hour and has not been raised since 1976, when it was raised $2 from the original $2.76.
“All universities contribute to [the CITF]… and the money is disbursed back to the universities at the same percentage they put in,” Beesting said.
The committee explained the increase and took questions from the audience.
“[The hearing] was informational,” Sippin said. “[Many] students didn’t know what the fee was.”
The audience was presented with conceptual images of proposed alterations and additions to buildings including the Recreation Center and the Graham University Center at MMC as well as the Wolfe University Center at BBC.
“This is a representation of what is a possibility,” Wassenaar said. “This isn’t exactly what we would do, but… [they] are reflections of students’ priorities.”
At the end of the hearing, students posed questions regarding the fee increase.
“I’m OK with the $2 increase, but it accumulates over time,” said Bruno Phanord, a senior in political science and philosophy. “I would love to see [better] services, I just don’t want students paying so much for education.”
The fee allocations have contributed to buildings including the BBC pool, the Health and Wellness Center at MMC and the U.S. Century Bank Arena expansion.
“[The University needs] the whole $2 in order to realize the outcomes [the students] will want to have,” Wassenaar said.
The CITF fee is built into student tuition, the breakdown is located in the University catalog, according to Frye.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Wassenaar said. “Students at the state level have fought very hard to make this opportunity even available.”
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At BBC, the public hearing presented and heard arguments about the increase of the CITF fee that is used to fund the construction and expansion of non-academic buildings.
Students’ opinions were greatly encouraged by Beesting, despite the fact that only two students were present at the meeting.
“Normally, when I chair these sessions and ask for an increase, I try to remain absolutely neutral. But this time I can’t, because when I started here 28 years ago, there were five buildings,” said Beesting. “By the time you guys graduate, this will have generated funds and construction will have started,” he added.
Biscayne Bay Campus will see some renovations and expansions in the Wolfe University Center. “With the fee increase, we would be able to start building more as a whole instead of building piece by piece,” said Wassenaar. “That is more efficient, more cost-effective and students will get more ‘bang for their buck’.”
Wassenaar explained toward the end of the hearing that these are only some of the possibilities for the projects and that there are many construction needs at FIU. “Because of all the budget cuts, we just don’t have all the dollars,” Wassenaar explained.
Bill Beesting stressed the importance of student input and hopes that students know that they have control over this issue and encouraged them to get involved.
“In 2 years, you will see a significant change on campus that will make you very proud. And when you come back in 20, it will be amazing and you will be proud to show your kids where you went to school.”
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