URI club teams rally for student activities tax increase, issue put on Student Senate presidential ballot

02/12/09 - On this year's University of Rhode Island Student Senate presidential ticket, students will have the ability to vote on an increase of $8 per student in the student activities fund.Club sports president Eric Litvinoff proposed the increase to the senate. He said many of the varsity teams that were cut last year because of budget issues are eager to become club sports, but there is not enough funding to recognize all of them.

Men's swimming, gymnastics, field hockey, and men's tennis were among the teams that contacted Litvinoff. Currently, club team members pay $300 to $800 each per season.

Club teams already do extensive fundraising, which goes toward expenses, such as paying their coaches. There are approximately 400 athletes presently participating in URI club sports, according to Litvinoff.

The activities tax takes $106 dollars out of every student's tuition each year, and $22 of the tax goes into supporting club sports. The remaining dollar amount goes into a student activities fund that is budgeted at the senate's discretion.

If this increase were to pass, the total tax will increase to $114. The $8-increase will be split equally between the two sections of the fund.

The senate decided on the figure by averaging the costs of three club teams, Litvinoff said.

Finance Committee Chairman Allen Petit stated that club sports have added around 20 clubs since the last increase was made to the student activities tax. The last increase was $2 in 2007, but that increase just went into effect this year. If the referendum passes this year, the increase would not take place until next fall. Petit added that economic situations have also affected the way the senate can budget club sports.

"The increase will allow us to budget all of our clubs to an adequate level," Petit said.

Petit said the senate really has to "get the word out there" and "inform the students this is better for them in the long run."

In other news:

The URI American Association of University Professors president Dorothy Donnelly and member David Malley asked the senate for its support their fight for better wages for part-time faculty. Their three demands were an increase in salary, health benefits and a seniority system to protect long-time employees.

"We must have these if we have any respect for ourselves," Donnelly said.

Also, Senator Tom Sibbald was elected to the Rules and Ethics Committee. "Maybe I can add my experience to the committee," he said while trying to explain why he should be elected.

President and founder of the Student Alliance for the Welfare of Africa, Samuel Aboh, presented the reasons why the organization he represents should be moved to Level III.

"I feel like we are worth that," Aboh said, referring to the level change. The bill passed with little opposition.

The Underwater Hockey Club was also approved for recognition at Level III. The club's representative, Gabriel Mathias, explained that the club would partake in hockey played with one-foot long sticks, a lead ball and two nets at the bottom of a pool.

URI News TV was recognized at Level III. The group hosts a news program once a week on channel 80.

The Sports Medicine Student Association was the last to receive Level III recognition. Its goal is to provide an open educational forum for students interested in sports medicine.