Vote for Referendum A

What is the Student Activity Fee?

The Student Activity supports campus activities, student advocacy, and student organizations. It is one of six fees that all UMBC students pay each semester. Currently it is the lowest of all the fees at $78 per year or $4 per credit for part time students and is the only fee that hasn’t increased in the last 6 years. Please see the chart below to see a brief history of fee increases for all the student fees at UMBC. To see the details of all current fees for the Spring 2008 semester visit http://www.umbc.edu/sbs/tuition_spring_2008.


What does the Student Activity Fee fund?

The Student Activity Fee is directed by the Student Government Association and it funds over 250 student organizations and hundreds of events on campus. For example: Free Newspapers (Collegiate Readership Program), Homecoming, Stress Free Zone, DVD’s in the library, Quadmania, Involvement Fest, and large student events such as Jambo Night, Norouz, ASIA, PakSA Night and many. many more. For a full breakdown of the current SGA budget for FY 2009 please visit: http://sga.umbc.edu/budgets/FY%2009%20SGA%20Budget.htm. You can also view SEB's budget at http://sga.umbc.edu/budgets/SEB%20Budget%20FY09.htm and The Retriever Weekly’s Budget at http://sga.umbc.edu/budgets/TRW%20Budget%20FY09.htm.


What Referendum A is asking for?

Referendum A is the question of whether or not students support a $10 yearly increase in the Student Activity Fee.


Why does the Student Activity Fee need to be increased?

The Student Activity Fee hasn’t received a fee increase since 2003. Currently it is $39 per semester for full time students and $4 per credit for part time students. Over the last several years, the SGA has been operating at a deficit because of the large fund account that was built up due to conservative SGA spending from prior years. Since the 2006-2007 school year, the SGA has been spending more money than we have been bringing in due to increased demand for services. Obviously this situation cannot exist forever, either the fee must be increased or costs must be cut causing a reduction in student life. Also as time goes on due to increasing salary costs, inflation, and other items that SGA has become responsible for have caused SGA’s costs to rise. With this $5 per semester increase, we will be able to continue providing the services and events that campus demands.



Why Should I Support Referendum A?

You should support Referendum A if you support student life at UMBC. The Student Activity Fee is the only fee on campus that is student controlled. It also directly supports student life at UMBC. If you want to support student life you should support Referendum A.


What will happen if Referendum A fails?

If this doesn’t pass, many of these events and organizations will be significantly impacted. Not only would next year’s budget be seriously impacted with a number of cuts which include: a decrease in the student organizations budget, free newspapers (NY Times, Baltimore Sun, and USA Today) any future chance of another Prove It, funding for Welcome Week, Commuter events, and the Etiquette Banquet. The future of all organizations and events that depends on the Student Activity Fee will be in jeopardy. As new student organizations continue to be created and old ones expand, the demands for funding will only increase. Campus life is continually expanding as well. Without this increase, the support for this increased demand of student life will not be met and the current level of student life will decrease.

Adult Film Debate Roundup

As many students know, UMBC has found itself in the ongoing issue over screening adult films on University System of Maryland schools. Here are a few places to get informed about the debate:

• Baltimore Sun summary


• Washington Post editorial


• Commentary and discussion on UMBC


• My personal thoughts


• Paula McCusker, contact person