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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2002)
vebaIWdley, Carry the Original 014702 Totes, Backpacks & Accessories Available at issii i i m i i is 191 E. Broadway 484-5522 Mon-Sat 10-6 Energy fee increases Despite campus conservation efforts, students can expect to pay $20 per term this year Jillian Daley Family/Health/Education Reporter The University’s energy fee will increase this fall to $20 per term, up from the spring term fee of $15, de spite the “Doin’ it in the Dark” stu dent-led conservation effort this past year. The ASUO campaign, led chiefly by former ASUO President Nilda Brook lyn, lowered the energy fee from the original proposal of $30 per term, but she had hoped to eliminate the fee. The fee was originally inspired by Oregon’s move to ration energy to al leviau; uic v^aii fornia energy crisis in 2001. The state also had, and contin lower-than-nor mal levels of available ener gy. Eugene Wa ter & Electric Board officials d£UU Lliat Lilt Lit creased availability and increased use of energy continues to cause prices to rise. “EWEB found it necessary to raise rates three times in 13 months: April 2001, November 2001 and May 2002, ” EWEB spokesman Steve Hill said. EWEB contracts with the Universi ty for energy, so when EWEB’s rates go up, it affects the University. “The terms of that contract allow the rate of the contract to be adjust ed when EWEB raises its rates,” he said. Brooklyn says it is the use of the money that seems unfair, not the fee collection. “I think that one important aspect is that when the ener gy fee was collected, it could be used for anything under fa cilities, so it wasn’t slated just for energy costs,” Brooklyn said. She said that the energy fee is an unnecessary and unwel come addition to student costs. “If we have to get an energy fee, then what exactly does our tuition pay for?” she said. Brooklyn said the fee makes little sense when students are already shelling out so much money per term. Vice President for Student "The ongoing costs of operating campuses continues to rise, and the universities have to pay for that:" Bob Bruce OUS spokesman Airairs Anne Leavitt ex plained that Provost John Moseley is Campus energy fee Fall Winter Spring Fall '01 '02 '02 '02 Keeping me energy fee separate from tuition be cause of its undesir able quality. “If the Provost had his way, he’d do away witn it. lie Keeps it separate from tuition and other things be cause he’d like to get rid of it,” Leavitt said. The Oregon University System ap proved the energy fee levy at the Univer sity’s request. OUS spokesman Bob Bruce said the fee increase lessens the University’s financial burden. “Tuition covers instructional costs and a small part of operating costs,” he said. “The ongoing costs of operating campuses continues to rise, and the universities have to pay for that.” Bruce also said that a number of other universities have energy fees. However, Washington courts deemed the energy fee illegal in recent proceedings, which Brooklyn said makes the practice questionable. Despite reservations about the fee, Brooklyn worked with the University to limit the financial impact on stu dents, and the campaign succeeded in reducing energy usage. Yet the price of energy continues to go up, hamstring ing efforts to eliminate the fee. The ASUO conservation efforts re duced energy use from between 11 and 15 percent, but energy costs for the University still went up by $1 mil lion, which is discouraging, facilities director George Hecht said. “The cost of those unprecedented increases have been passed on to the students,” he said. Contact the news reporter atjilliandaley@dailyemerald.com. Week, of Welcoijie THVRSdAY, SEPtErflBER. 26 4:00 - 5:15 Pip PR0JEC+ SAFEZOrjE: CREAtiHG A COtlUHOOitY OF ALLIES (AL8EA RpOIfl) FRidAY. SEPtErflBER. 27 1:00 - 2:15 Plfl Queer. Docks: LGBTQ CoooECtions At tHE UO (EFflU 34) FRidAY, SEPtEHIBER.27 1:00 - 4:00 PITI Queer. Docks- Opeii Hoose (LGBTQA GrricE- ElniU 34) LESBIATf, GAY, BI8EKUAL, AIJD TR^IjSGErjDER. EDUCATIONAL ATfD SUPPORT SERVICES us out @ darkwing.uoregon.edu/~program Join our email list by emailing program@darkwing.uoregon.edu Join OUR. ElflAiL List FOR. UPdAtES Job And IritERjiSHip OppoRtunitiES Caijipus And CoriiriiunitY Resources FirjB Join tHE OUTLIST 2002 Weekly Drop-Io Group Scheoules TjAtionAL CoijiioG Out Day Program For more information contact Chicora Martin, LGBT Director Educational & Support Services
