Motions to recommend higher UTMSU fees and student service fees have been passed by the UTM Campus Affairs Committee.
The UTMSU fee increases include an additional $10.08 per term for the summer U-Pass starting this summer, and an additional $7.67 for the part-time U-Pass fee in each of the fall and winter terms, to start in September.
The committee also approved a recommendation to increase the summer U-Pass for students enrolled in the Mississauga Academy of Medicine by $4.76.
The motions, passed on February 12, will proceed to Campus Council on March 5. If they are approved, the executive committee will consider the final approval on May 11.
The proposed increases mean that all full-time and part-time undergraduate students would be charged $92.82 per term for the U-Pass, up from $85.15.
Additional UTMSU fee increases approved by the committee—to be charged per semester—include a one-cent increase to ECSPERT, the Erindale College Special Response Team; a one-cent increase to the food bank; a two-cent increase for academic societies, the spending for which has fluctuated between $37,000 and $50,000 over the last four years; a 26-cent increase to society; and a two-cent increase to the student refugee program WUSC.
As a designated UTM student society, UTMSU must receive approval from the university’s governing bodies in order to implement fee increases.
The recommendation of the UTMSU fee increases came on the heels of a rally organized by UTMSU against proposed parking, residence, meal plan, and food service fee increases that were approved by campus council on February 5.
UTMSU did not respond when asked why the union is requesting fee increases.
UTMSU president Hassan Havili also did not respond when asked for comment on the union’s current assets of $1.15 million.
Also recommended to Campus Council by the Campus Affairs Committee was the 2015/16 student service operating budget, proposing both increases and decreases to fees for certain student services.
The proposed fee increases include a $3.37 athletics and recreation fee increase per session for full-time students and a $0.67 increase per session for part-time students. Currently, full-time students pay $168.39 per session in athletic and recreation fees, compared to $33.68 for part-time students.
Student service fees are also on the list of fee hikes. Full-time service fees will rise from their current cost of $142.51 to $151.08. Part-time fees will increase from $28.50 to $30.22.
Other increases include an additional $2.56 per session for campus health services for full-time students, and a $0.52 increase per session for part-time students. Current health service sessional fees are $33.67 and $6.73 for full-time and part-time students respectively.
The only proposed decrease is to shuttle bus fees, which are recommended to be reduced by $0.27 from the current $4.68 fee charged per semester.
