RUSA to initiate referendum to raise student fee

Last week, the Rutgers University Student Assembly voted to pass the Allocations Referenda Act of 2024, which formalized two referenda related to changing the student fee moving into the Spring 2025 semester. The vote passed with 43 members in support and two opposed.

The Assembly's cut of the fee, which has increased by less than five dollars in the last 17 years, serves as a key source of funding for student organizations supported by the Assembly. 

Their portion currently sits at $35.50, with the remainder of the fee, which currently tops $1,000, supporting other University resources.

The first of the two referendums asks the student body whether they approve of increasing the student fee solely for the Spring 2025 semester by $15.

The Assembly posits that the increased fee would increase funding for student organizations but does not specify by how much their portion of the fee or funding would increase with the $15 change.

The other asks them whether they approve of the Assembly amending their Constitution to eliminate the need to conduct referendums when deciding how much to increase the student fee in the future, so long as the modification is conducted biannually and does not top more than 2 percent.

Assembly President Jack Ramirez, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, explained that the second referendum would allow the Assembly Allocations Board to adjust the current $15 modification after considering how many clubs exist on campus, inflation rates and the frequency of hosted events.

The provided reasoning behind the referendum explains that the current system limits the Assembly's efficiency in addressing issues related to funding. In a separate statement, Ramirez explained that this referendum will give organizations the ability to respond appropriately to future increases in costs.

"It's clear $4.25 hasn't been enough to sustain the cost student organizations face since we have last been successful with this type of measure," his statement read. "This safeguards us from any future burdens of this extent."

Both referendums will be up for vote from November 8 to November 29, and as per the Assembly's Constitution, require majority support from at least 10 percent of the New Brunswick campus' undergraduate population to pass.

Supplemental resources explaining the value of the increase as well as the role the student fee plays in funding student organizations will accompany the questions.

Information about the referendum will also be provided to the student body via virtual information sessions, a town hall meeting, mailing list, direct communications with organizations and other governing bodies and a public relations campaign.

In a statement to The Daily Targum, Assembly Allocations Chairman Jai Jhaveri, a Rutgers Business School senior, explained that raising the student fee would bolster student organizations and preserve students' ability to remain engaged on campus.

"An increase in the student fee will provide necessary financial relief and support for the student organizations on campus that make the Rutgers community special," Jhaveri said. "This referendum is all about empowering the student body to take action and safeguard the future of involvement on campus."

Ramirez echoed Jhaveri's sentiments about the importance of the referendum in maintaining the well-being of student organizations on campus. In his eyes, the "University culture is at stake here."

"This increase will address the significant reduction in funding that has affected student life on campus since returning from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure all organizations have the ability to be better off and thrive," he said. "I encourage all students to support this measure to protect the quality and vibrancy our University is known for."