SGA votes to support midyear tuition increase

Decision based on poll of 8 percent of students

Kiki Holl / staff photographer According to an SGA poll, 68 percent of student support a midyear tuition increase.

In a heated meeting Tuesday night, the Student Government Association passed a resolution in support of a $150 midyear tuition hike after polling 8 percent of the student body Monday.

Out of 974 student responses, according to Academic Affairs Committee Chair senior Kevin Winters, 68 percent voted in favor of a tuition increase. Of those voting, 349 were in-state students and 625 were out-of-state.

Following Winters' reading of the polling results, the SGA student senate debated a bill proposed by the academic affairs committee.

"If we do not pass this now," Winters said, "the SGA will have not made an official statement regarding student opinion. I urge you to pass this bill protecting faculty losses and supporting academic institutions."

Senators had vastly differing opinions about whether the SGA should pass the bill. Some senators said the results of the SGA poll were not reliable because of the possibility of question error or because too few students responded to the poll.

"I had some concerns about the questions on the ballot," senior Finance Committee Chair Mike Goodman said. "I felt there were really just two questions: tuition increase or faculty losses. Other options were not clearly listed."

Sophomore representative Amy DiGiovine said, "I don't believe 8 percent of the student population is an accurate representation of student opinion."

College of Arts & Letters Senator Josh Porter, a junior, said the SGA should not pass a resolution either for or against the increase because there is not a clear determination of what is best for all students. "I think inaction is actually better than action," he said. "I personally feel that the poll that they used was just not a good way to decide that students want a tuition increase. "Of course students are going to choose faculty the way the questions were worded; however, I've talked to plenty of people that are worried if tuition is raised they are not sure they will be able to stay at JMU. I was concerned for those students."

Of the senators in support of the bill, many said despite their own personal beliefs, their hands were tied because the polls showed that the majority of the student body was in favor of the increase. Senior Arts & Letters David Crain, a senior, said, "The only thing we can do is to fight for the lowest possible tuition raise."

In response to Porter's argument that some students would not be served by passing this resolution, Arts & Letters Senator Brandon Durflinger, a senior, said, "Many times as student leaders we like to act on behalf of the students, sometimes even missing the first step of asking the students. It is very important that we understand on this issue the students have spoken. I am standing with 900 students. How many are you standing with?"

After nearly 30 minutes of debate, the resolution passed 64 to 5 with 2 abstaining.

SGA President Levar Stoney said he will present the bill supporting a $150 midyear tuition increase, but not a $300 increase, at the Board of Visitors meeting tomorrow.