The Northwestern Greek community will share the financial burden of university services with dorm residents beginning Fall Quarter of 2006. The Office of Student Affairs will bill each of the approximately 900 students living in on-campus Greek houses a $255 service fee.
Because residents of Greek houses do not pay university room and board, their yearly cost of attendance does not include certain services still available to them.
“Student Affairs has determined that the cost should be shared by everyone who lives on campus, including students who live in fraternities and sororities,” said Mary Desler, the associate vice president and dean of student affairs.
Previously, residential hall room and board covered all salaries and benefits of the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, shuttle service, on-campus police services and sexual assault services, Desler said.
“Because students living in fraternities and sororities will be contributing, the money we save will stay in the residential hall and residential college system to compensate for rising costs,” Desler said.
A representative of the Office of Student Affairs attended Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association meetings to inform them of the fee.
“The way the university is applying it, I think it makes sense they’re transferring the costs to fraternity and sorority members,” said Matthew Larson, chapter president of Beta Theta Pi.
But, the system needs improvement, the Weinberg junior said. For example, off-campus students also use the Escort Service without paying any fees, and they will not be billed the additional $255.
Beta Theta Pi will likely share the cost with off-campus members to minimize the increase in dues, Larson said. But Larson expects that the cost of living in his fraternity house will be less than living in a dorm, he said.
Individual representatives are responsible for informing their fraternity or sorority of the fee, said Desler.
During the annual Greek Leadership Retreat, a session devoted to discussing the fee was offered, said Jamie Bagliebter, chapter president of Kappa Kappa Gamma. The SESP junior declined to comment on her reaction to the fee.
Nikki Berlin, a resident of a sorority house on campus, did not know of the fee, she said.
“To have it out of nowhere without asking students is kind of unfair,” the Weinberg sophomore said. “(But) it’s not a significant amount compared to tuition.”
A letter explaining the fee is available at the Office of Student Affairs, Desler said. The letter is provided if students wish to send it to their parents.
“Costs of these services have escalated, in part due to the expansion of the university’s safety efforts, the increase in benefits paid to full-time staff, and expanded programming,” the letter stated.
The fee will increase yearly at the same rate that room and board is increased for residential halls. Room and board rates increased 5.3% from 2004-2005 to 2005-2006. The rate is expected to increase similarly in the future, Desler said.
Reach Jake Spring at [email protected].
