Wednesday, january 14, 1976
page 6
daily nebraskan
third
dimension
student
fees
Student fees weather many storms
By Liz Crumley
In 1937, UNL students decided to tax themselves to
pay for construction of a Union. This was the beginning
of student fees.
The fees have weathered 39 years of increases, law
suits, a legislative bill asking for their elimination, and a
one-month freeze on their expenditure by the NU Board
of Regents.
The use of student fees was brought to the attention of
the university in 1971 when four UNL students filed a
suit asking for a temporary injunction enjoining the
university from collecting fees. The suit was based on
what they called their right not to contribute to, sub
scribe to, or associate with certain extra-curricular univer
sity activities.
These included the 1970 student strike, the 3971
Time-Out Conference on Human Sexuality, the Birth
Control Handbook, the 1972 spring World in Revolution
Conference on Justice in America and the Daily
Nebraskan.
The court ruled in favor of the university.
On Dec. 11, two months after the first suit was filed,
the regents directed NU President D.B. Varner to halt
expenditure of student fees until a plan providing
"adequate controls over the funds could be devised.
Although student fees for the Student Union Board
and ASUN were halted, the regents directed the continua
tion of fees used for operating the Nebraska Uniona and
the University Health Center.
One week before the moratorium on fees, trie
President's Committee on Student Fees was appointed.
Review agency recommended
The committee found that the current fee system had
worked "reasonable satisfactory." However, the
committee said that since major questions had been raised
concerning some student programming activities, the
committee would recommend the establishment of an
additional review agency for "certain funded student
programs."
This agency wpuld serve as a third party arbitrator
whose decision would be final.
Regents approved the report as an interim measure
and theri lifted the moratorium.
The following spring another suit concerning the colle
collection of student fees was filed by Richard Veed,
then a UNL student.
Where have all the fees gone?
Fee Per Student
Fee User Per Semester
University Health Center $25
Debt service
Nebraska Union 9.50
Student organizations and
activities 8.11
Nebraska Union
operations 6.48
Debt serviceUniversity
Health Center 5.00
Student recreation
program 2.91
EquipmentNebraska
Union 2.50
Recreation facilities 2.00
The $193,680.35 re
ceived during the 1975-76
school year from the
S8.ll per student assess
ment was allocated by the
Fees Allocation Board as
follows:
Union Program
Council $59,000
ASUN 35,000
Daily Nebraskan
Cultural Affairs
Committee
Black
Coalition
32,700 Women's Resource
Center 830
25,700 Women's Action Group 750
Student NUPIRG 675
8,525 Innocents and
400
400
385
317
B78
ia
FY TBTUOCrqT FIFES
' "for
AQLLARS.
Stf-71-UrL
NU Rifle Club
India Association
Soccer Club
Rugby Club
Student Veterans
Organization
Nebraska Masquers
Ski Club
Student Social Work
Organization
E-Week Board
BALSA
National Student Speech and
Hearing Association UNL
Chapter 160
Judo Club 150
Omicron Delta Epsilon 150
Cornhusker Water Polo
Club 125
300
290
258
204
200
175
MASA 6,500 Mortarboard 600 Chess Club 110
CAIS 6,000 International House 525 Phi Beta Lambda 100
University Child Care UNL Gay Action Group 500 Bar-M 100
Project 5,300 University YWCA 500 Geology Club 64
Student Bar International Club 500 Pi Tau Sigma 60
Association 2,650 Fencing Club 500 Association of Computing
UNL Alumni Chinese Student Machinery 50
Association 1,000 Association 500 American Guild of
Cultural Center 1.000 NU Weightlifting Club 415 Organists 12.35
opsn to men k
Veterans:
y $100 monthly
for 20 months f3jA
; (tsx free) in
addition to G.I. Bill
' """ "'"""" "" '""' wiiMWMMMnmSJ ,.l.,.i.a-.irr,..-i..,i,.r.i.riMiiiiiir.i m
'R mot Tnn i ATCTV r-, ,o
5iJ MM WW I I 1111 l.y I 1.: XX 11 11 t. i'r-i
to men & women j
Lincoln attorney Lawrence Murphy, who handled both
suits, claimed that Ids client's constitutional rights of
freedom of speech and press had been violated.
Veed objected to paying student fees to support
organizations or speakers who advocated views different
from those he held.
Permanent injunction requested
Murphy asked for a permanent injunction' against the
collection of student fees and their expenditures for the
Daily Nebraskan, ASUN, the speaker programs of the
Nebraska Union and any extra-curricular speaker
programs.
In an interview last week, Murphy said the suit was
geared to provide freedom of expression-the right not
to participate in or help finance an activity.
Attorney Alan Peterson, then legal counsel for the uni
versity, said student fees were used to provide a forum for
all views and added that the suit was motivated by a desire
to stifle people.
The injunction was denied and U.S. District Court
Chief Judge Warren Urbom said nothing had indicated
that the university had used student fees in an "attempt
to support or advance any particular political or personal
philosophy." He also said that the wisdom or political
desirability of the specific route chosen for fees was not a
question to be determined by the courts but by a more
appropriate forum.
The U.S. District Court of Appeals in St. Louis upheld
the decision in June 1973. Then, Murphy's request for re
view by the U.S. Supreme Court was denied.
Task forces' established
In November 1972, UNL Chancellor James Zumberge
established four investigative task forces, including the
Student Fees Administration Task Force, Facilities and
Other Fee Users Task Force, Student Programming Task
Force and University Health Center Task Force.
The task forces recommended the establishment of a
board to hear budget requests and make recommendations
concerning fee allocation.
These recommendations led to the creation of the Fees
Allocation Board in July 1973.
In January 1972 a bill was introduced into the Educa
tion Committee of the Nebraska Legislature which, if
passed, would have placed restrictions on the use of
student fees.
The bill stated that any university or college receiving
state appropriations in any form "shall not require
students at the university or college to pay any form of
mandatory student activities fee or charge."
After considerable deliberation, LB 1271 died in
committee.
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COO Sweaters 9.99
700 Dress & Casual Pants 11 99
120 Shoes 14.99
JiS IS & k8ather Coat$ Price
400 Shirts 8.99
1800 Blue Jaans
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300 Sweaters 12.03
200 Blouses ft price
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140 Dresses or less
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90 Denim Jackets
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