By CONNOR RYAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Nearly two weeks after members of Rose Hill’s United Student Government (USG) voted in support of a proposal that would increase the university’s student activities fee, a poll indicates most of the student body has taken a similar stance.

Of the 918 students that participated in this week’s poll on OrgSync, 64 percent of them supported the proposal — the crux of which says that every student’s activities fee would be boosted from $120 to $135 per semester beginning next fall.

Muhammad Sarwar, GSB ’14, the vice president of finance on Rose Hill’s USG and the chief architect of the proposal, spoke enthusiastically Friday night.

“I am very humbled by the community’s positive response to the initiative, and thank everyone for participating in this vital and impactful debate,” he said. “I commend USG and the Budget Committee for conducting a spirited, campus-wide campaign and am grateful for their hard work.”

The final step before the proposal is placed into action is approval from Jeffrey Gray, senior vice president of Student Affairs. He said Friday night that while he was aware of the initiative, he is still in the process of collecting information.

“I have had different people sharing their views with me, some in favor, some not,” Gray said by e-mail. “I will be sitting down with some of the student leaders in the coming weeks to review the process and the outcome.”

It is unclear as to when Gray will make a decision.

Despite steady tuition increases, USG says the student activities fee — which is used to fund club budgets and a wide range of university events — has remained flat since 2003. 

Sarwar has said that the current fee rate is allowing for 45 percent of clubs’ budgetary needs to be met.

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