University Times

The Board of Trustees student affairs committee has approved increases to student fees on the Pittsburgh and Johnstown campuses, beginning in the fall term.

Pittsburgh campus wellness fee

In a July 12 meeting, the committee voted to raise the wellness fee for Pittsburgh campus students to $120 per semester for full-time graduate and undergraduate students, an increase of $15 per semester.

In addition, the committee has instituted a $60 per semester wellness fee for part-time graduate and undergraduate students. Currently, part-time students are not automatically billed for the wellness fee, but must purchase it prior to using the Student Health Service.

The wellness fee supports the Student Health Service, the University Counseling Center and the Office of Intramurals and Recreation.

The fee increase will “provide additional resources to better meet the evolving needs of students through expanded programs and services,” committee documents stated.

The committee cited reasons for the increase: a 30 percent increase in visits to student health and the counseling center since their move in 2013 to Nordenberg Hall; growing participation in Healthy U wellness programming; and the need for maintenance and renovations to campus recreational facilities.

Pitt-Johnstown activity fee

The committee voted to increase Pitt-Johnstown’s activity fee for full-time undergraduate students, currently $83 per term in fall and spring terms, to $90 per term in fall and spring terms. The fee last was increased in the 2007-08 academic year.

According to board background documents, income from the fee is used “to increase the number and quality of social, cultural and diversity-oriented activities and to enhance the campus learning environment.”

The increase, which was approved by the UPJ board of advisers on recommendation of the UPJ student government, “would bolster accessible funding and, ultimately, yield more events for the campus community,” board documents stated.

UPJ’s Student Government Association allocates the funds to the Student Senate allocations committee and other student organizations.

The current fee was termed inadequate to fund the growing numbers of clubs and organizations and increased costs.

—Kimberly K. Barlow