The second of possibly many programs this fall came to the Senate of the Associated Students of the University of Nevada Sept. 11 to present yet another proposed fee increase. Later, two candidates vied for a vacant seat to represent the College of Engineering. Class, experience and fraternity ties came up in the lengthy debate over the candidates.
Tutoring in dire straits
Directors of the Math Center, Tutoring Center and Writing and Speaking Center asked the senate to support an increase of the Academic Success Fee from $25 to $50 per student, per semester.
Danelle Clarke, director of the Math Center, explained the proposal.
In a key departure from the tech fee presented the week earlier, Clarke said that the tutoring fee increase cannot go forward without ASUN’s support. It’ll likely have to pass as a bill or resolution to be taken to the Board of Regents, the Nevada System of Higher Education’s governing body.
“Since the fee was instated, in 2010, inflation has gone up by 36%, minimum wage 65% and starting pay at [all three of] the centers is at a 100% increase,” Clarke said. “So the changes since 2010 are really undeniable, and these numbers clearly show how much we’ve been left behind.”
Clarke also emphasized the volume of students seeking help at the three centers against how rising costs have forced them to cut back their services.
The Math Center alone has had to cut hours of operation by 30 percent, number of review sessions by 30 percent and number of available tutors by 41 percent, Clarke added. Last year, according to Clarke, the Math Center had 22,000 contact hours with students.
Maureen McBride, director of the Writing & Speaking Center, reported a similar problem.
“We’re just at this breaking point with all of our centers,” McBride said. “We’ve cut until we’re so slimmed down in what we’re offering, it’s starting to have a major impact on students who now can’t get services. You start not asking for services because you don’t believe you can get them.”
Marsha Urban, director of the Tutoring Center, explained that wages make up the lion’s share of rising costs because the centers already prioritize paying students fairly.
“One of the first questions I ask [in an interview] is, ‘Do you need this money to pay your rent or buy food?’” Urban said. “I can’t even guarantee them ten hours. They’re just people who really want to help, but they still need money. One of them just texted me back, ‘I have an apartment now, I can’t tutor.’”
Because it was the ASUN senate that first approved the Academic Success Fee in 2010, Clarke said, the centers are counting on it to keep them afloat.
“It’s your place to say where this goes from here, and if it goes from here,” Clarke said.
Aween Ali, the Speaker of the Senate, passed a motion to attend to the matter with legislation by Sept. 25.
Who (else) will represent the College of Engineering?
Two candidates, Kamela Furuta and Rafay Jamil, stepped up to fill the vacant seat for a senator of the College of Engineering.
Furuta gave a presentation stressing the importance of safety on campus and disconnect from campus life among engineering students. She also discussed unique experience as a student from a low-income background who depends on aid for her college career. Furuta is a bioengineering major with minors in Spanish and mathematics, as well as involvement with Women’s Club Soccer and the Japanese Student Action Network.
Furuta also proposed programs to help low-income students as part of her platform pillar, “Emphasis on Equity.”
“Lots of students who are low-income don’t have a ton of time to go looking for every scholarship that is out and available to them,” Furuta said. “And then finally, I think increasing transparency about where student fees are being allocated would put a large part of the student population at ease.”
Furuta also discussed her experience in student government before coming to college, a point that members of the senate table brought up in support of her.
Rafay Jamil, a mechanical engineering major with ambitions to pursue a career in aerospace engineering, was the other name on the ticket. During his speech, he dished out suggestions on how to help the College of Engineering’s dire dropout rate. Jamil said that nationwide, engineering loses half of its majors before graduation.
Jamil proposed an extra 1-credit course to add to early-career engineering majors’ workload as a way to keep them engaged in the program.
Though without student government experience, Jamil discussed his business, where he rents out a photo booth for events, and his work history as a warehouse manager. Jamil also worked for NevadaFIT this year.
“I think I gained a lot of knowledgeable information on how to mentor students,” Jamil said.
Finally, Jamil suggested an ASUN newsletter to “increase student awareness and attendance at these meetings, as well as any information that directly affects students,” he said.
Leaf Acklin, a senator for the College of Liberal Arts, praised the idea, but commented that the Nevada Sagebrush already reports on the senate, with recaps for every meeting during the regular semester.
It also wasn’t until Shantel Imatz, a senator for the School of Public Health, asked about additional campus involvement that Jamil mentioned his membership in a fraternity, Lamda Chi Alpha.
An initial deliberation period of 15 minutes was extended several times as senators weighed the candidates.
Abigail Castro, senator for the School of Social Work, praised Furuta for her prior student government involvement.
“I think having plenty of experience advocating for students is especially needed in the College of Engineering, with low-income students, who won’t come back due to issues regarding finance; regarding budget,” Castro said. “I think that’s why I’m inclined to her specifically.”
Joel Martin, a senator for the College of Liberal Arts, criticized Jamil for holding back his fraternity membership.
“I didn’t like that he was kind of hiding that he was affiliated with a group; a substantial group,” Martin said. “That rubbed me the wrong way, especially considering that he has acquaintances at the table.”
Steven Spurlock, a senator for the College of Business, defended Jamil’s choice. Spurlock and Tucker Goodspeed, another senator for the College of Business, are both members of that same fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha. Both ultimately supported Jamil’s bid for the seat with their votes.
Elijah Houghtelling, a senator for the School of Public Health, praised Jamil’s initiative.
“He has a lot of that want to get up and go [mentality],” Houghtelling said.
The debate pushed on until 8:31. After nearly an hour, Jamil won the seat with 11 votes to Furuta’s eight.
Rena Arneson, ASUN’s chief justice, swore in the new senator.
Legislation for Later
Two pieces of legislation were referred to the Committee on Government Operations, “An Act To Mandate the Department of Government Affairs to Conduct an Annual Comprehensive Student Survey,” and “A Bill To Remove the Title IX Liaison Position from the Committee on IDEA.”
The meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m.
Peregrine Hart can be reached via email at peregrineh@unr.edu or on Instagram via @pintofperegrine.
