Student Life creates advisory committee to recommend allocations for activities fee

The student activities fee, at the recommendation of Student Government, will be split in two major ways. Half of the $100 per year fee is earmarked for a future student recreation center; the other half will be used to improve the campus climate by enhancing campus-wide social, recreational and community-building activities, according to Ken Zick, vice president for student life and instructional resources.

“Based on its study, the Student Government wanted to create a fund that would eventually prompt serious consideration of and planning for a recreation center,” Zick explained. “A specific fund was not created, but the university will earmark or credit these contributions toward the construction of a recreation center, should such plans be approved in the future. Obviously, significant additional funding would have to be found beyond that generated by the activities fee for such a recreation center to be built.”

The committee will be chaired by Mary Gerardy, associate vice president for student life. Its members will also include two other staff members from the programming division of the Student Life office, a Student Union representative, a Student Government representative, the student member of the board of trustees, and two members from the undergraduate student body at-large.

For the first year, the editor of Old Gold and Black, the student newspaper, will serve as an ex officio (non-voting) member of the committee. Another non-voting member will be the Student Union’s concert committee chair. The at-large student members will be selected by an application process through the office of Ken Zick, vice president for student life and instructional resources. Applications are available in Room 311 of Benson University Center and at the Information Desk in Benson Center. Applications are due in the vice president’s office (Room 206 in Reynolda Hall) no later than 5 p.m. on Jan. 30.

The approval of a student activities fee follows several reports on the campus climate for students. The Student Life office conducted a yearlong study in 2001 – 2002, including listening sessions with students, visits to other campuses and a survey conducted by an independent consulting firm. The study revealed that most students believed that there should be more social options for students.

Subsequently, Student Government officers released a report called “The Strategic Plan for Student Life.” This plan supported and highlighted many of the concerns and recommendations made by Student Life staff. The plan called for community building at Wake Forest through the development of new traditions and the revitalization of old ones, the creative utilization of campus space, and the development of new social outlets off-campus, among other things. At the Presidents’ Leadership Conference in September 2003, student leaders discussed the student government report and recommended that a student activities fee be considered to help implement these recommendations.