Email From Sen Jane Nelson

[UNTflyer]

After posting the Texas Education code last week showing that, by law, UNT is not permitted to have a dedicated student athletic fee, I emailed my state representatives. I finally got a reply:

Thank you for contacting me about your support for a new student athletic fee at the University of North Texas (UNT). As a UNT alumna, I share your desire for its continued success as a university.

Typically, for a new fee to be adopted by the Legislature, it must be requested by the university administration after holding an election of students at the school. Without the support of administration and students, such legislation is very unlikely to pass even if filed.

You may wish to contact UNT administrators and student groups about this issue and determine what can be done to secure the support necessary at those levels for legislative passage. With the cost of education rising rapidly, all legislators are reluctant to impose new fees on already over-burdened students without the support of both the students and the university.

I appreciate your sharing your proposal with me, and hope that you will not hesitate to let me know any time I can be of service to you.

Very truly yours,

Senator Jane Nelson

[Hunter Green]

Which is why if a fee is proposed to the students, it should not go into effect until 4 years. That way, none of the current students would be voting them selves a fee increase.

[UNTflyer]

I agree. Any fee should be incremental and not take effect for at least 3 years after the vote. A 4 year wait isn't needed, i would think most freshmen would be OK paying that first small increment in their senior year.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

This should have been done thirty or forty years ago, but there is no better time than the present to address the situation. Fix the problem.

Problem is, there may not be anyone on campus that CAN fix the problem.

[DallasGreen]

Problem is, there may not be anyone on campus that CAN fix the problem.

They are there, they just lack the fortitude and integrity to make fixing it the top priority. With the $$$ thrown away on Lee's Dallas project, that has failed so miserably, it could have already been fixed.

[greenminer]

"Typically" is an interesting word.

[FirefightnRick]

"Typically" is an interesting word.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing?

Remind me again then how it was that the title 9 fee was voted down by the majority of students in the '02 vote but then the SA was able to push it on through regardless?

I need to find that thread where I posted all the links to that years' election again I suppose?

Rick

[UNTFan23]

The state representative was talking about a NEW fee like a dedicated Athletics Fee. Right now the money for athletics comes from a part of the Students Services Fee. All SGA did back in 2002 was increase the Student Services Fee, which only requires either a successful student vote on a referendum or SGA passing legislation.

[ADLER]

The state representative was talking about a NEW fee like a dedicated Athletics Fee. Right now the money for athletics comes from a part of the Students Services Fee. All SGA did back in 2002 was increase the Student Services Fee, which only requires either a successful student vote on a referendum or SGA passing legislation.

Fan23, in your opinion, what would be necessary to make something great happen for the University of North Texas?

Personally, I would love to see it done as a student referendum, but that would only be possible if the right leadership became involved in the matter.

[UNTFan23]

Fan23, in your opinion, what would be necessary to make something great happen for the University of North Texas?

Personally, I would love to see it done as a student referendum, but that would only be possible if the right leadership became involved in the matter.

We need more then just a great leader at UNT to get this done, we need the state legislator to approve a NEW dedicated athletics fee. There is more then one moving part involved in this machine.

I'd say first, we'd need to get all the parties involved in one room (SGA, Athletics, and the Administration). Figure out how much athletics is getting now. Get this on a referendum to establish the existing amount to a dedicated athletics fee while reducing the student services fee by the same amount. If this passes with a student vote, send both students and school administrators to Austin to talk to state representatives. Why both? It would send a pretty clear message that the students endorse the dedicated fee.

On a separate referendum, have an incremental increase over a period of time to start 3 or 4 years from when the vote occurs to whatever the maximum is for an athletics fee (I guess you could max it out in 4 to 5 years). This would need to be worded as such that it would increase either the existing student services fee or the dedicated athletics fee (if created).