Last night the Student Fee Review Board, among other increases, voted in favor of raising student fees by $5.75 per credit hour. That’s a lot of money that we will now be paying, and many students didn’t know that anyone was voting on this until now.

It’s great that there is a board of students who can vote on our fees, but the amount that the average student is involved in how their money is allocated is not nearly as high as it should be. Everyone can attend these meanings in which the votes are being cast, and yet no one attends. But, we all whine and complain when we look on our student account and see that fees were raised. It’s fine to be frustrated, but then don’t be afraid to be part of the change that you want to see.

This particular fee increase will go towards a new biology building, which puts in place an unsettling precedent. There are members of the CSU administration whose job is to raise money for fundraising projects. Obviously their job isn’t going as it should be if they’re dipping into student fees. We don’t want to see this become a trend: every time someone on campus wants a new building, our fees cannot be the default pool. Students should not be paying for building projects; other universities have figured out a system so fundraising funds buildings in their entirety, and now it’s CSU’s turn.

Don’t like the way your $5.75 per credit hour are being allocated? Consider joining SFRB, or talking to board members, and make your vote count for something.