Sacramento State’s Student Fee Advisory Committee voted to increase student dorm fees $478 per year in order to fund the construction of new dorms, pushing the academic year total of dorm fees to $5,250.

The April 11 vote will be implemented in the fall if President Alexander Gonzalez approves it. The fees are intended to fund construction of new dorms, which are slated to be completed by fall 2009.

Director of Housing and Residential Life Cynthia Cockrill said the amount of new dorms to be built is based on a market demand study conducted for development of more on-campus housing.

The goal of the new housing is to serve first-time freshman, first-time transfers, international students, returning sophomores and athletes, Cockrill said.

Further fee increases of up to 10 percent per year over the next two years may be implemented depending on further market analysis, Cockrill said.

The legislation was passed by a 3 to 2 vote.

Associated Students Inc. President Angel Barajas, who was one of the two members against the fee, opposed the legislation on many grounds.

“A substantial fee increase of $478 for students housing is not a fee increase worth implementing on top of a possible 8 percent tuition fee increase from the state level, and the recreational/wellness/event center fee increase of $110 per semester,” Barajas said.

In addition to increasing the cost of living on campus, Barajas expressed concern over the increase’s affect on students living on campus.

Barajas said one problem is that the committee was not given a study about how the increase will affect access and equity of student housing, which he said would ultimately affect the campus’s demographics.

“This is crucial because housing issues is about student access for a diverse campus,” Barajas said.Committee member Garrett Aquino also opposed the proposal. Aquino, ASI director of health and human services, said the fee’s financial effect on students is unfair.

Two other student appointees on the committee were ASI members Ryan Christensen, director of social science and interdisciplinary studies; and Christine Hopkins, vice president of student affairs. They both voted for the proposal. Hornet staff was not able to speak Hopkins or Christensen the student appointees as of Monday.

Kristin Van Gassbeck, an assistant professor of economics appointed to the committee by the Faculty Senate, also voted for the fee.

Non-student voter Paul Noble, associate vice president of Planning and Budget for Academic Affairs, abstained from voting.

The dorm fee increase is now in the hands of Sac State’s president.

“I hope to hear from Gonzalez very soon regarding his decision.” Cockrill said. “Without his approval the proposal will be no good.”

Maxwell Puckett can be reached at [email protected]