SGA aims for technology fees committee

The Student Government Association will vote on a bill Thursday that asks The University of Memphis administration to include a student on the committee that decides how technology access fees, which are included in tuition, are used on campus.

If the bill is passed, the SGA will select a student representative to sit on the Dean's TAF Committee, which is currently composed of academic deans and a representative from the faculty senate.

The bill is a response to the Information Technology Division's $25 cap on student printing allowances and elimination of rollover amounts. Both changes were made during the summer.

Although ITD announced the changes on myMemphis, some students were upset The U of M didn't send out a campus-wide e-mail.

The role of each committee member is "to disseminate TAF related information and to make recommendations and decisions with a University perspective," according to the ITD website.

SGA Speaker of the Senate Tristan Wilkerson said an undergraduate representative on the TAF Committee would give students a voice in issues that concern how their money is used.

"We'd like to be as involved as possible," he said.

There is already some support for a student representative on the committee.

"They're student fees," said William Porter, dean of students. "The mission (of the committee) is to determine how to spend student money."

SGA once had a student representative on the committee, said Cory Higdon, SGA speaker pro tempore. He said he would like to see more compromise between students and The U of M on issues the committee debates.

"It's very important to have someone there who can connect with students and can talk to SGA about meetings," Higdon said. "Students need to understand what goes into their TAF fee."

Ellen Watson, associate vice president and central information officer, said the committee needs a student voice but that the committee hasn't always heard from students in the past.

Watson said the committee meetings, which are held the fourth Tuesday of every month from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Administration Building, are open to students.

"We try to have students, but it's hard," she said.

Currently, the technology access fee for undergraduate, graduate and law students is $112.50 for a full-time student. According to the ITD website, the fees are used for student printing, computer labs, laptop carts, smart carts, classroom equipment and installations. Students can find a list of products bought using their TAF fee and where they are around campus at http://trl.memphis.edu.

Wilkerson said the SGA is contemplating a selection process and would like to have a representative by next semester.

Music jazz performance major Benny Reiner said he strongly supports the SGA legislation.

"It's one step closer to getting back to the previous student printing plan or having a more reasonable one," he said.

But some, like sophomore journalism major Jodie Johnson, said they were doubtful one student representative would have any real effect on decisions.

"If the administration is already not listening, what will putting a student on the committee do?" Johnson asked. "The better approach is to show this is a problem instead of electing more people."