Student on-campus workers may suffer if a 5 percent increase is taken from general fees for the Football Opportunities Committee’s varsity athletic enhancement recommendation.
    General Fees encompass student fees for education and technology, Health Services, athletics, recreational programs, cultural affairs, the student union, book rentals and transportation. Under the plan recommended to the Board of Trustees (BOT) by the Football Opportunities Committee, a 5 percent increase that would have benefited these areas would go to expand and improve varsity athletics.
    Areas under general fees that hire student employees, such as W.H. Plemmons Student Union, University Recreation and education and technology, all reported the likelihood of cutting student hours or positions. Other areas such as Cultural Affairs and transportation may see cutbacks in programs and services.
    David L. Robertson, director of student programs, said Thursday that any kind of general fee increase for the student union would go to student workers’ salary. Robertson said fee increases also help compensate for rising fuel and utility costs in operating Plemmons Student Union.
    “If the fuel increase sustains, then we might have to look at cutting student jobs,” Robertson said.
    Robertson said no workers in the student union would lose their jobs, but they may receive fewer hours if the student union is unable to cover costs. Since the student union is a “non-academic building,” student fees must be used to cover operating costs, Robertson said.
    Director of University Recreation Joe R. Carter said Thursday that University Recreation may face the same student employee dilemma without the 5 percent increase.
    Carter said University Recreation employed over 417 students last year. Past increases have gone toward increasing student wages and purchasing new equipment for recreation programs such as Outdoor Programs and intramural sports, Carter said.
    “We may have to cut back,” Carter said.
    Carter said University Recreation may have to employ fewer students next year and may not be able to replace older equipment.
    Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Wilbur H. Ward III said Thursday forgoing the 5 percent increase would “absolutely” affect areas covered by the educational and technology fee.
    “It will be harder to supply things needed to teach and learn at Appalachian,” Ward said.
    Ward said the education and technology fee covers areas such as computer labs on campus, supplies in science labs, clays in the department of art and anything else that goes towards instruction.
    The $6 increase this year supplied $70,000 - $75,000 to help cover these needs, Ward said.
    Ward said cutting the 5 percent would be a “marginal difficulty” compared to cutbacks already received as a result of the fiscal budget crisis.
    Ward said student job opportunities in computer labs may see a cut as well.
    “It may be the case that we won’t be able to hire as many people as we would have,” Ward said.
    Chris Turner, a spokesperson for AppalCART, said fee increases in transportation are used to increase wages, expand routes and replace older buses. Turner said any cutbacks would affect these areas.
    H. Perry Mixter, director of cultural affairs, said Thursday the Office of Cultural Affairs would “certainly” see the effects from forgoing the 5 percent increase.
    Mixter said student fees for cultural affairs help subsidize the cost of bringing arts to campus.
    “If we don’t have subsidies to cover it, we will have to somehow,” Mixter said.
    Mixter said the effect of removing the 5 percent increase would “not be catastrophic, but ticket prices may increase to make up for costs that cannot be covered.”
    University Bookstore Director Michael G. Coston said Thursday that removing the 5 percent increase next year would “stretch” the bookstore and book rental program.
    “Fortunately it’s not our only source of income,” he said.
    Coston said the book rental fee is something that affects every student directly.
    “Some people never go to a football or basketball game, but every student gets a book,” Coston said.