DSG clashes over activity fee increase

After vigorous debate, Duke Student Government voted to increase the student activity fee by 1.6 percent for 2016-17 and discussed possible changes to the Young Trustee selection process at its meeting Wednesday.

The increase in the undergraduate student activity fee adjusts for inflation and is built into every student’s tuition. The fee was $125.50 for 2015-16. A number of senators argued that raising the activity fee is unnecessary given that DSG currently has $151,331.73 in surplus programming funds, which could compensate for loss due to inflation. Around $120,000 of that surplus is coming from a de-chartering of inactive but still funded groups in the last year. Many senators expressed heated opinions during the debate about whether or not to raise the fee.

“I think the student activities fee was contentious in whether or not to raise it for inflation,” said Executive Vice President John Guarco, a junior. “It’s traditionally an annually very controversial legislation.”

Those in favor of raising the fee, including senior Senator for Durham & Regional Affairs Nicholas Andrade, argued that although raising the fee is a “very complex issue,” a larger increase would be necessary down the road because the surplus would run out without the increase agreed upon Wednesday.

Guarco took the floor, temporarily abdicating his chair position, to argue in opposition of raising the fee and add more to the debate. His floor time, normally limited to five minutes, was extended by two minutes after a motion to increase his speaking time. 

The initial presentation stated that DSG bylaws forbade an increase the student activities fee beyond adjusting for inflation without putting the increase to a vote in a student referendum. During the meeting, however, DSG President Keizra Mecklai interjected that “we can raise it however much we want,” stating that the Board of Trustees would likely approve a larger raise and allow DSG to suspend its own bylaws.

The meeting also included a presentation by the Executive Board of possible changes to the Young Trustee selection process, focused on making the process “less DSG-dominated” after criticism from students in the past about DSG’s heavy involvement in the selection.

Changes discussed included abolishing the Young Trustee Nominating Committee Selection Committee, historically composed of mostly DSG freshman senators, to make the selection of the nomination committee less biased toward DSG.

The board also presented a possible addition of a faculty advisor to the selection committee—someone who currently serves on the Board of Trustees or has in the past.

Another discussed change to the Young Trustee selection process was formally prohibiting the DSG President to run for Young Trustee, which Mecklai said has never happened.

In other business:

The student organization Progress. Period.—focused on making menstruation more acknowledged on campus—was officially recognized. The group Department Of, “Duke’s only intentionally comedic publication,” was approved to be chartered.

Additionally, DSG approved $2,600 in funding for the Black Student Alliance to host prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson in November, and granted Phi Beta Sigma $3,300 for its Casino Royale Charity Ball.

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Keith Whitfield is sponsoring a $4,000 contest, organized by the Academic Affairs Committee, to encourage students to submit course evaluations. The reward will likely be in the form of a chance to win $5 or $20 dollar Amazon gift cards.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Guarco argued in support of raising the fee outside of parliamentary procedure in going over the allotted time. The Chronicle regrets the error.