Zack Quaintance

Daily Egyptian

Not all students support the administration's proposed tuition and fee increases.

The Graduate and Professional Student Council has collected more than 300 signatures as part of "Draw the Line," a student-initiated campaign to defeat a 9.4 percent tuition increase and a number of student fee raises.

The Board of Trustees will discuss the proposals at its 9 a.m. meeting Thursday in the Student Center. Draw the Line organizers said the meeting marks the students' last chance to rally against the increases before the board votes in May.

Students flowed through the Student Center at noon Monday, often grabbing a quite bite to eat before class. At a table across from Starbucks, Jon Pressley, the president of GPSC, sat back in his chair, resting his right foot on his knee.

"Hey man, have you heard about tuition and fees going up?" Pressley asked a passerby.

Juan Rodriguez, a graduate student studying anthropology from Venezuela, stopped to check out what Pressley had to say.

"I haven't heard, is that something that will affect me?" Rodriguez said, referring to the proposed increases.

Pressley, a graduate student from Fort Worth, Tex., directed Rodriguez's attention to fee information handouts spread out on the table between them.

Rodriguez examined the fliers, listened to Pressley's explanation and became the 20th person to sign the petition within the previous hour. Pressley said the interaction was typical of the response Draw the Line's efforts have gotten.

"The more we tell people about what's going on, the more they are upset about it," Pressley said.

Pressley is not alone in trying to educate students about fee increases.

Since the proposals became public in October, Chancellor Walter Wendler held various meetings for groups ranging from the College of Science faculty to any interested student who cared to show up.

At several meetings attended by Daily Egyptian reporters, the responses to the chancellor's presentation have been mostly positive. Many students have said they are willing to pay fees to support "Saluki Way", a massive overhaul of the east side of campus.

If trustees approve the construction plan, the athletic fee will increase by $44 for the next four years to pay for a renovation of the SIU Arena, a replacement for McAndrew Stadium and a new field house. An additional $20 fee, which will also go up by the same amount for the next four years, would support an academic student services building to be located where McAndrew Stadium now stands.

Pressley said the chancellor has been met with support because the students who oppose the raises feel they cannot make a difference by speaking against the proposals. Pressley implored students to break their silence at the board meeting Thursday.

The graduate student government, which represents participants in master's and doctorate programs, passed a resolution last month opposing many of the fees. The Undergraduate Student Government will vote Wednesday on whether to lend their support to the proposals.

Students interested in helping Draw the Line should send an e-mail to edford@siu.edu.