$27 Fee Hike Asked for CSUN Athletics

The Cal State Northridge Associated Student Senate voted Tuesday to approve an athletics referendum designed to pump additional funds into the school’s declining athletic budget.

The referendum asks for an increase of student fees by $27 per semester and will be on the student ballot in March.

Passage of the referendum would maintain the Northridge football program, as well as men’s soccer, women’s basketball and swimming. Northridge also would add women’s soccer as a Division I sport. If the referendum is defeated, those sports would be eliminated.

Twice in 1994, referendums were defeated. Last fall, a $49 increase per semester was voted down.

Marc Levine, vice president of the student senate, believes this proposal will pass.

“We’ve increased the chances for passage because students rejected a high campus fee, not the athletic program,” Levine said. “Because we lowered the fee, this is something that can increase our scholarships and give females additional opportunities to play at the Division I level.”

An amendment to the referendum that would have changed the fee to $25 a semester was discussed at length by the senate. However, that proposal was dismissed because of concerns over declining student enrollment.

Ron Kopita, vice president of student affairs, said, “Clearly it would have been a shortfall if it was passed for $25. Two dollars isn’t very substantial to the individual student but in terms of the athletic program it is.”

“It would be a difference of about $100,000. Plus, there is uncertainty about the student enrollment and that had to be carefully considered.”

A senate committee conducted a student survey in January to learn what type of referendum students were most likely to approve.

Northridge President Blenda J. Wilson has endorsed the most-recent referendum.