Off-Campus Life and Ram Ride did not ask for fee increases during their meetings with the Student Fee Review Board Monday evening.

Director Jeannie Ortega, Program Coordinator Lindsay Mason and Administrative Assistant Nancy Rhodes, all of Off-Campus Life, said they were able to prevent a need for a fee increase as a result of unanticipated salary savings.

Ortega said the student fee for Off-Campus Life has been consistent with little movement.

“We are fortunate as a small office … to be able to actually generate revenue,” Ortega said.

Ortega said some sources of such revenue have been the Housing Fair, on-camps lockers and ads distributed in handbooks.

The salary saving also comes from a vacant key position for the staff, the community liaison specialist.

“As a result … and as an addition to some other salary savings we have, … that has created an opportunity for us to not come forward and ask for fees this year and allow others who need that more to do so,” Ortega said.

Off-Campus Life also claimed that, despite this year’s ask for no increase, they do plan for an increased fee for the office in the future.

“There will be more mandatory costs to come our way and another bump in minimum wage,” Ortega said. “We’re essentially, for lack of a better word, kicking the can down the road. But … what we’re trying to do is absorb current fees that are associated with students that are contributing to our office and are here right now.”

What we’re trying to do is absorb current fees that are associated with students that are contributing to our office and are here right now.” Jeannie Ortega, Off-Campus Life Director

In another glance to the future, Mason said that marketing costs for next year are expected to decrease since they know what to expect in terms of how the new stadium affects game days and parties.

RamRide Student Program Coordinator Savanah Vowers and Andres Schemel, a graduate assistant also proposed no increase for the RamRide fee.

“We currently sit at $6.07 for student fees and we are asking that we remain at $6.07,” Vowers said. “Due to some staff restructuring, we have been able to absorb all mandatory fixed costs.”

According to Schemel, RamRide was a bit understaffed through parts of the semester. 

Like Off-Campus Life, Ram Ride also intends to increase fees next year as a result of an expected increase in minimum wage.

“We are absorbing the cost this year,” Vowers said. “We don’t anticipate to do so next year.”

Last week’s proposals were addressed following the presentations of Off-Campus Life and RamRide. The Health Network’s revised budget was tabled and the School of Music, Theatre and Dance had their budget approved.

Voting for Off-Campus Life and Ram Ride will happen at next week’s meeting, where the SFRB will also hear proposals from Ram Events and the Lory Student Center.

Collegian reporter Charlotte Lang can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @ChartrickWrites.