The Michigan Daily - Monday July 25, 2005 - 3

Student fees increased
to support MSA and SLS

AMINAILS

New fee will help pay
for student groups, off-
campus housing attorney
By Lindsey Ungar
Daily Staff Reporter
In addition to the increase in tuition
this fall, students will be paying $1
more in student fees for Michigan
Student Assembly and Student Legal
Services. The Regents narrowly
approved the increase in a 4-3 deci-
sion at last Thursday's meeting. Half
of in the increase will go directly to
MSA, while the other half will cover
a portion of the funds needed to sup-
ply a new attorney focused on off-
campus housing in SLS.
MSA president Jesse Levine said
he was pleased to see the Regents
approve the $0.50 increase for MSA,
which will provide an additional
$37,500 to the organization. Includ-
ing MSA matching funds from its
reserves, this will amount to a 17-
percent increase in student orga-
nization funding. Student groups
received $383,436 in funding from
MSA in 2004.
"I think it was a momentous meet-
ing because MSA hasn't had a fee
increase since 2002-03 and SLS hasn't
had one since 1998," Levine said.
Last year, MSA brought in
$450,000 in revenue from student
fees. The increase will see the MSA
fee rise from $6.69 to $7.19.
But the proposal was met with
TUITION
continued from page 1
financial aid packages with need-
based grants.
The addition of these grants and the
increase in General Fund grants amounts
to a 28.6-percent financial aid increase for
in-state undergraduates.
The University's average annual
increase over the past five years has been
second lowest in the Big Ten, with only
Northwestern University having a lower
increase over the period.
The Regents also approved an 11.9-per-
cent tuition increase for the University's
Dearborn and Flint campuses.
CORRECTIONS
In 'Gay pride sticker sparks controver-
sy at pizzeria,' (7/18/05) Pat Waters was
misidentified for Timothy Wright.
Waters said Shirvell does not have
any official status as a spokesman for the
church, his views are not shared by the
majority of the parish and that Waters said
most of the people he spoke with were
more upset with Shirvell's posture than
the gay pride sticker.
Please report any errors in the Daily
to corrections@imichigandaily.corn.

sharp criticism from three of the
Regents, including Regent Andrea
Fischer Newman, who did not
approve of a fee increase amidst cost
cuts throughout the rest of the Uni-
versity. Regents David A. Brandon
and Andrew C. Richner also voted
against the increase.
"It seems to me to be the wrong
time to be increasing these expen-
ditures and adding to the financial
burden on students, particularly
where there is no demonstrated
need," Richner said.
Levine said that he is calling for
the creation of an MSA fundraising
committee in the fall to aid MSA's
funding priorities. He is also in the
process of reaching out to members
of the University and administration
for advice.
"We're tightening our belts like
every other branch of the Univer-
sity," Levine said. He added that
MSA has amended its bylaws to
show financial responsibility when
giving out funding to groups and
events on campus.
Less debated was the $0.50
increase for the new off-campus
housing attorney. MSA and SLS
have worked in tandem the past
three years to address housing con-
ditions, tenants' rights, and land-
lord/tenant disputes.
"This is the first step in the right
direction," Vice President of Stu-
dent Affairs E. Royster Harper said.
"We wanted someone who would be
available to individual students for
legal representation so they can have
PA RK ING
continued from page 1
Wagner also said he felt that passing
this resolution during the summer was
discriminating against him as a member
of the Jewish community. with Hillel and
the Chabad House located inside the park-
ing district.
Council member Joan Lowenstein
(D-2nd Ward) said that since the parking
regulations only took place on weekdays,
worship services would not be affected.

a quality living experience."
This semester SLS fees will
increase from $5.50 to $6.00. Harper
added that SLS funds would match
the fee increase dollar-for-dollar to
hire the attorney.
Levine has been working with SLS
Director Doug Lewis to bring back
the Housing Legal Reform Project
to SLS since last fall. The project
called for an attorney devoted to off
campus housing needs - educating
students, lobbying City Council and
litigating student/landlord disputes.
Last semester, MSA unanimously
approved HLRP. Since his elec-
tion in March, Levine has lobbied
administration to garner support for
the project. More than 75 percent of
University students live off-campus,
and many are taken advantage of,
according to Harper.
"This has to change. This is a big
industry for the city and this is our
attempt to level the playing field,"
Harper said.
Earlier this year, Levine said
MSA planned to hire an attorney to
specialize in international law. How-
ever, due to funding constraints,
Levine said he has delayed the proj-
ect until the fall, but he said he plans
to continue to develop the plan for
the international specialist attorney.
This attorney would assist inter-
national students at the University,
who can often run into trouble with
their status, due to the complexity of
the U.S. immigration laws that have
become more stringent since the
Sept. 11 attacks.
Wagner said that it would still be a
problem for activities on weeknights dur-
ing the school year, which sometimes start
before 6p.m.
Mayor John Hieftje, who supported
the resolution, attempted to postpone
the vote until the second City Council
meeting in September to give students a
chance to be heard, but this motion was
struck down.
Carlberg said postponing the vote
would not provide enough time for signs
to be posted and residents to adjust.

This sculpture of an orangutan stood on South Univer-
sity Avenue during Ann Arbor Art Fair last weekend.
Bill Secunda of Pennsylvania constructed these animal
sculpture by welding as many as 60,000 nails to a steel
rod armiture.


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