Proposals for cable television in dorm rooms and an increase in the Student Activities Fee likely will be approved by the Board of Trustees within the next two weeks, administrators said.
William Banis, Northwestern’s vice president for student affairs, said Wednesday that the board’s financial committee had approved both proposals, which signals that the board will follow suit. The board will vote on the fee increase this week, he said.
“We’re assuming it will pass,” Banis said.
Trustee Philip Harris, who leads the committee, said “overwhelming” student support for both proposals stood out in the presentation to the student affairs committee of the board.
Associated Student Government senators voted in favor of cable Feb. 27 after about 56 percent of 2,327 students who voted in an online referendum said they wanted cable. Support for the fee increase passed ASG on its third try.
Trustee Benjamin Slivka said he voted for the addition of cable in dorm rooms after noting that students clearly favored the proposal.
“I personally don’t approve of television, but you guys all voted for it,” he said. “If they wanted to pay more money, who am I to say no?”
Students would pay about $120 a year to see cable television through their personal computers if the board approves the proposal.
Student representatives also asked to raise the fee $7, from $33 per quarter to $40, which would add about $120,000 to the funding pool for student group programming. After two failed votes, ASG senators approved the increase Feb. 27.
Le’Jamiel Goodall, ASG financial vice president, said the increase would let the Student Activities Finance Board give student groups money for higher-quality events.
“Students were limited by the financial strain of the SAF,” said Goodall, a Weinberg junior. “This would make it slightly easier to make decisions. Student groups have deserved the funding but they haven’t gotten the money.”
Students should enjoy the new service despite concerns that viewing cable through a computer would be of poor quality, said ASG President Jordan Heinz, who watched a cable television demonstration on the computer Tuesday.
“It’s awesome – it looks like cable on your television,” said Heinz, an Education senior.
Heinz said students would foot most of the bill for cable although members of the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committee, who requested cable in the rooms, hoped the university to cover more of the cost.
“Students are really paying for it all,” he said. “With any luxury, this was sort of expected.”
