Executive Policy 6.208 Executive Policy 6.208

Mandatory Student Fees

Executive Policy Chapter:  Chapter 6, Tuition, Financial Assistance, and Fees
Executive Policy:  EP6.208, Mandatory Student Fees
Effective Date:  April 2017 (for Fall 2017 courses)
Prior Dates Amended:  N/A; New
Responsible Office:  Office of Vice President for Academic Planning and Policy
Governing Board of Regents Policy Chapter 6, RP6.203
Review Date: December 2018

To promulgate provisions implementing Regents Policy Chapter 6, RP6.203 III.B.2 and Chapter 6, Attachment 1, Item #1 related to mandatory student fees (as revised 10-16-2014).

In delineating the scope of this policy and to assist in clarifying the purposes and goals of current and future mandatory student fees, the following definitions shall apply:

1. Chartered Student Organizations (CSOs) are defined by Regents Policy, Chapter 7, RP 7.201 (Student Organizations) and RP 7.202 (Chartered Student Organizations) and conduct activities directly financed through mandatory student fees, also known as mandatory student activity fees as authorized by Section 304A-2257, Hawaii Revised Statutes.


2. Mandatory student fees are clustered into major types:  student organization fees and student program fees.


• Student Organization fees are generally managed and administered by a recognized student governance organization chartered by the University.  These include organizations such as student government, student center board or programming council, student publications board, student broadcast board, and student activity or student life board.  Collectively, student governance groups of the University are known as chartered student organizations (CSOs) and are advised and program supported by University assigned faculty or staff typically in a student life / student activities office.


• Student Program fees are managed and operated by a University office, program, or department with substantive student input.  These fees help to support such services as student health centers, student technology centers, student transportation services, and student athletics.


3. Definitions and uses of the mandatory student fees are provided below.  These mandatory student fees shall be generally assessed of all students.  Exceptions are described in Section III G of this policy for students in distance and on-line courses, who are not able to take direct advantage of certain co-curricular programs and opportunities at their course-offering campus.  Chancellors may authorize exclusions for students in outreach and continuing education programs on their campuses or for students due to their geographic locations.


• Student Activity & Program Fees include those mandatory student activity fees used to foster a vibrant student life and to promote a unique and enriching student educational experience at UH campuses through a diversity of co-curricular student programs, activities, and services.  On some campuses, where there is no distinct Student Government Fee, the Student Activity and Program Fees may support the cost of student government.


• Student Publication Fees include those mandatory student activity fees used to support and govern student publications such as the campus newspaper, literary magazines, e-publications, other print media, and related student advertising sales and promotions, affording students opportunities to write, edit, design, manage, do art, sell ads, conduct promotions, etc. that inform, educate and/or entertain the campus community.


• Campus Center & Student Recreation Fees include those mandatory student activity fees used to support student-governed, student-serviced, and student-administered facilities, programs, services, and activities that serve as the “living room, hearthstone, or community center” for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests of the campus.  Taken together, these facilities, programs, services, and activities offer conveniences and amenities that campus community members desire in their daily lives and create a focal point or gathering place where cultural, educational, social, recreational leisure, personal wellness, and physical fitness needs may be met.


• These fees may also include those mandatory student activity fees used to support campus recreational facilities, programs, services, and activities that promote physical activity and wellness through student usage of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities and student participation in recreational opportunities such as intramural sports, fitness, outdoor adventures, aquatics, and other personal wellness or personal leisure activities. 


• Separate fees may be established to fund principal and interest payments of bonds sold as well as other debt obligations incurred for the construction, repair, renovation, and/or furnishing for facilities; as well as fund the operations of services and programs within campus center and/or student recreational facilities including personnel costs.


• Student Government Fees include those mandatory student activity fees used to encourage and foster student input, voice, and advocacy of the needs, interests, and concerns of students on campus through purposeful participation in institutional governance.  These fees may also support the student government’s sponsorship and funding of pertinent programs, services, and activities.  Separate student government fees for undergraduates and graduates may be established given the composition of the campus student population.


• Campus Communication Fees / Student Broadcast Fees include those mandatory student activity fees used to support and govern student broadcast such as campus radio station, television programs, film-making projects and other broadcast media, affording students opportunities to produce, engineer, and manage radio broadcasts as well as script write, edit, broadcast report, produce, and manage filmmaking that inform, educate and/or entertain the campus community.


• Student Health Fees include those mandatory student fees used to provide a level of campus health services which contribute to students’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being in order that they may persist towards their educational objectives.


• Student Technology Fees include those mandatory student fees used to support computing and technology needs of students through timely repair, replacement, and/or renewal of equipment, infrastructure, and software in a rapidly changing environment and to maintain state-of-the-art technology to aid in academic achievement.


• Student Transportation / UPASS Fees refer to those mandatory student fees used to support subsidized public transportation services negotiated with governmental entities operating such public transportation.  These fees may also support other alternative transportation programs and services that promote sustainability through reduced consumption of fossil fuels among other approaches.


• Student Athletic Fees refer to those mandatory student fees used to enhance the campus intercollegiate athletic program’s revenue to assist with expenses such as scholarships, travel and subsistence, materials and supplies, and other expenses directly beneficial to student-athletes needed to offer a competitive intercollegiate athletic program given the campus’ designated conferences of competition.  These fees shall partially offset ticket costs for seats allocated to students to attend home events, promoting campus spirit and pride.  A negotiated portion of these fees shall support a variety of activities for students, including those activities designed to enhance the student experience related to athletics as well as the student’s athletic experience.

This policy shall apply to all campuses of the University of Hawai‘i.

1. Mandatory Student Fees Schedule shall reflect fee amounts approved by the Board of Regents.  Approved fee amounts are made a part of the Fees Schedule codified as appendices located at the end of this policy.


2. Assessment & Collection of Student Fees:  As authorized by Board policies and University rules, each campus shall continue its practice of collecting mandatory student fees on behalf of its CSOs, student activity programs, or student programs.  These student fees shall automatically be assessed to the student account when a student registers for any course on a campus.  A student who registers for courses at more than one campus shall be assessed mandatory student fees of those campuses unless exempted as described in Part III G of this policy below.  Fees may be based on the students’ educational level, degree status, and enrollment status, among other factors. 


3. Changes to Student Fee Amounts:  CSOs, student activity programs, or student programs may request that its student fee be increased or decreased, or that a new student fee be established.  Such requests shall be submitted for Board approval with adequate justification via the appropriate campus chancellor and via the University president.  Requests shall clearly explain why the change is necessary and how the change will be used to further the purposes and goals of the CSO, student activity program, or student program.  As required by Regents Policy, RP6.203 III.B, operational and financial plans will accompany requests for new mandatory student fees.  Requests shall outline appropriate consultative steps taken by the requesting body with constituents impacted by the fee change.  Additionally, requests shall outline how this policy, particularly the Fee Schedule appendices will be amended.  Should a multi-year student fee schedule be approved, ending rates for these fees shall remain in effect until the Student Fees Schedule is officially replaced by action of the Board or by delegated authority.


4. Use and Expenditure of Mandatory Student Fees:  CSOs, student activity programs, or student programs shall use and expend monies from the student activities revolving fund or other such student fee special or revolving fund for any purpose they deem necessary and proper to carry out and achieve their educational responsibilities, programs, and related activities, provided that the CSO, student activity program, or student program has met its own internal approval requirements and provided that any expenditure of funds is subject to the prior approval of the Board of Regents or its designated representative, the President or designee (HRS 304A-2257). 
   In balancing the right of the CSOs, student activity programs, or student programs to use and expend monies from its funds; the legal, fiduciary and administrative responsibility of the Board for such monies; and the co-curricular program objectives of affording students the opportunity to learn to exercise decision-making authority over such monies; all income and expenditures shall be in compliance with applicable laws, rules, policies and procedures of government and the University.  As such, ultimate responsibility for the proper financial management of the financial resources and other assets of CSOs, student activity programs, or student programs shall rest with the University program head as defined by University policy.


5. Appeals Process: When concerns arise regarding the expenditure of funds generated by student fees, students may appeal the decision of the University program head to every succeeding level of authority on the campus.  This may include both decisions about the expenditure or non-expenditure of funds, such as when the program head does not approve the use and expenditure of monies from the student activities revolving funds or other such student fee special or revolving fund, after the CSO, student activity program, or student program has properly approved such expenditure.  Each succeeding level of authority from the program head up through the Chancellor of the campus shall render a decision on the appeal within five (5) working days of receiving the appeal.  The Chancellor of the campus or designee will render a final decision on the appeal within seven (7) working days of receiving the appeal.


6. Annual Budgets and Financial Report:  The CSO, student activity program, or student program shall submit an annual budget for University approval as required by Regents Policy, RP7.202 III.C.  In the event that a CSO is inactive, full-time personnel in student life, student activities, or student affairs may submit an operating budget to cover operating costs, fixed and otherwise, for approval by the Chancellor of the campus via the campus senior student affairs officer.  In addition, an annual financial report of actual income and expenditures by the CSOs, student activity programs, or student programs shall be submitted at such time and in such a manner as prescribed by University policy (Executive Policy EP 7.101).


7. Distance & On-Line Learning Students; Concurrently Enrolled Students:  The quality and excellence of the University of Hawaii rests on both the curricular (academic) and co-curricular (non-academic) programs that campuses offer.  Just as tuition assessed by the campus is invested to enhance the educational experience for all its students through its library, labs, technology resources, and classroom facilities, so too are mandatory student fees assessed to enhance the out-of-classroom educational experience for all students through such co-curricular programs as theater, intramural sports, band, intercollegiate athletics, student newspaper, campus radio station, student government, student center, student clubs and organizations, etc.


• The University values the transformative potential of educational experiences and opportunities offered by the co-curriculum that is available to students.  The assessment of mandatory student fees is not dependent on whether a student actually uses specific fee-supported activities, programs, and services.  Rather, the assessment of mandatory student fees enables the University to enrich the quality of campus life for its students, maintain its reputation and accreditation, and share the costs of the co-curriculum among all students.


• All students who register for a course on any campus, including those in distance and on-line courses are recognized as members of the student body of the campus offering their courses.  As such, all students, including those in distance and on-line courses, universally contribute to creating, increasing, and maintaining high quality, affordable co-curricular educational programs.


• Students shall be required to pay mandatory student fees for student publications, student government, technology, and campus communication/student broadcast fees at all campuses at which they are enrolled, regardless of whether the course is taught online or at a distance.  These fees support services that are accessible or provide direct benefits regardless of the student’s geographical location. Students enrolled in classes on a campus will additionally be assessed the following campus-based mandatory student fees: student activity & program fees, campus center & student recreation res, student health fees, student transportation/UPASS fees, and student athletic fees.


• Students in distance and on-line courses may be physically unable to take direct advantage of certain campus-based co-curricular programs and opportunities. Therefore, they shall be exempt from paying certain mandatory student fees of their course-offering campus. Students who enroll in purely distance or online courses at a particular campus shall not be assessed the following campus-based mandatory student fees:  student activity & program fees, campus center & student recreation fees, student health fees, student transportation/UPASS fees, or student athletic fees.

Responsibility for implementation of this policy shall rest with the chancellor of each campus.

Office of the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs
Telephone: (808) 956-8753
Email: avpsa@hawaii.edu

    A. Section 304A-2257, Hawaii Revised Statutes 

    B. Regents Policy Chapter 6, RP6.203

    C. Executive Policy, Chapter 7, EP7.101

    D. Link to superseded Executive Policies in old format
https://www.hawaii.edu/policy/archives/ep/
    E. Link to Administrative Procedures in old format
https://www.hawaii.edu/policy/archives/apm/sysap.php

Appendix E6.208, 1a through 1i

    President