Student fee may double; fund turf field

Under a new proposal, the comprehensive activity fee charged to all students would nearly double next year to pay for an addition to the Bob Carpenter Center and other enhancements to recreational facilities on campus. The fee, charged to all full-time students, is used to fund registered student organizations, fitness centers, recreational sports and other student activities.       

The plan, which must be approved by the Board of Trustees, would increase the fee from $117 to $225 per semester, said Michael Gilbert, vice president for student life.

The money will go toward paying for several projects intended to improve facilities for club sports and general student recreation, including adding turf to Frazer Field, renovating the Carpenter Sports Building and building an addition to the Bob Carpenter Center to provide space for club sports and extra space for varsity athletics.

"We're trying to broaden the overall experience for students on campus," Bernard Muir, the university's athletic director said. "One of the things we desperately know from focus groups on campus is that we really have to enhance the Little Bob."

The renovations to Frazer Field, located adjacent to the Carpenter Sports Building, will begin this summer and are expected to be completed by the time students return in the fall, Muir said. Plans for the field have not been finalized but will likely include several turf fields and improved lighting.

The tennis courts next to the field, which Muir said are not used often, will be removed and the space devoted to more turf fields.

Muir said work on the Bob Carpenter Center addition will begin later this year and could be finished by Fall 2011.

"Since the structure is not that complex because we're talking gym space primarily, we think we can be really aggressive and have this thing done quickly," he said.

Conceptual drawings show the addition as a semi-circular building wrapping around the front of the existing arena. It would likely house two full-size practice courts as well as office space and team meeting areas for varsity basketball and volleyball programs.

The space would give varsity teams more places to practice, an important aspect because entertainment events held in the arena often interrupt practice schedules. However, unlike the existing building, time would also be allotted for club sports to use the new section of the building, Muir said.

A longer-term goal, Gilbert said, is renovating or expanding the Carpenter Sports Building, long criticized as too small and outdated. Completion of that project is still a few years away, he said, but next year, officials will conduct focus groups and town hall meetings with students to determine what amenities to include.

As with most capital projects, the university will pay for the recreation facility projects with bonds and existing funds and then use the fees collected in the future to pay down the debt, Gilbert said. The Frazer Field work is expected to cost $3 million, but cost estimates for the other projects are not yet available.

 Of the $108 fee increase, $100 will be earmarked for capital expenses. The other $8 will cover inflation and go toward funding a new leadership program on campus.

"What encourages me about this is I think the fee increase is appropriate and students will see the benefits of their investment right away," Gilbert said.

He said the fee increase will yield an additional $2.9 million per year. The increase comes on the heels of last summer's 10 percent hike in tuition, a 6.9 percent increase in the room and board fees and the first year in which students were charged a fee for Winter Session housing.

"I can appreciate the cost of attendance issue," Gilbert said. "I think the university is very careful about that and we're very thoughtful about if we increase fees, can we be sure it will affect student life in general in a positive way."

He said it is university policy to charge all students the same fee whether or not they use the services.

"We don't offer the experience à la carte in most ways," he said. "We do require many of these fees because it provides a better educational experience and it's part of what appeals to most students in coming to the university."

The Board of Trustees will vote on the proposal in May.