Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith has shot down a proposal that would charge Ohio University students living on campus $30 per guest during spring fest weekends.
Smith rejected two proposals from Residential Housing earlier today — one that would have implemented the new fee for this spring’s fests and another that would have increased the dormitory Halloween guest fee from $25 to $30.
“I’m not convinced it’s had the right amount of student input,” Smith said, adding that he will create a task force to further explore the possible fee increases.
Smith’s decision prompted praise from Student Senate President Jesse Neader.
“Certainly it’s a conversation where student involvement is important,” Neader said, adding that many students are more worried about the pending university budget cuts and haven’t had time to weigh the pros and cons of fest fees.
“The last thing we should do is rush a decision and then have to go back and change it,” he added.
Residential Housing’s Executive Director Christine Sheets and an eight-member focus group proposed the Halloween fee increase and the new fest fee. The group consisted of five Residential Housing employees and three students.
The group proposed that students be charged for out-of-town guests for this Spring’s High, Ark, Palmer Place, Palmer, Oak, Mill and 8Fest weekends, which fall on all but one weekend between April 22 and May 20.
The new task force will be charged with further gauging student opinion as well as the possible benefits of a fest fee. However, Smith said it is unclear if they will have time to make a final decision before the beginning of this spring’s fest season.
Fee money would be used for on-campus educational programs and to cover the cost of damage done by the influx of visitors, Sheets said last week in an interview with The Post.
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