Over the summer, Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez implemented two of three ballot measures voted down by students in the spring election. One measure applied to Sac State’s athletics program and the other involved The State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper.

Gonzalez overruled the Associated Students, Inc.’s fee increase proposals Measure One, for Intercollegiate Athletics and Measure Five, for the Hornet, despite 14 percent of the student population’s decision to vote them down in April’s ASI elections.

Regardless of April’s negative vote outcome for the Hornet and Intercollegiate Athletics fee increases, Gonzalez approved measures five and one, and said the decision was made based on two reasons.

The last fee increase that went toward Intercollegiate Athletics was in 1995. Scholarships for student-athletes, picked at the discretion of the coach for various things like university fees, books, and living costs have been raised to accommodate the rising costs of attending a university. But the funding has not. The last increase that went toward Intercollegiate Athletics was in 1995, said John Kepley, special assistant to the president.

The Hornet, on the other hand, is used to supply the campus with news and, due to the state of the economy, revenue from advertising is down and needs help from the students to survive, Kepley said.

Meanwhile, the CSU’s university fee has increased by more than $1,700 since 1995. The change in fees will allow the athletics department to continue providing scholarships at the higher level to all 20 of its programs, Kepley said.

The Hornet will receive a 50-cent increase starting next fall, bringing the total student newspaper fee to $3 per semester. The fee will not take effect until next fall. Gonzalez said he really values the newspaper and, to him, it is a real resource for everyone on campus.

“Everyone reads it,” Kepley said.

State Hornet Editor-in-Chief Todd Wilson said the students’ rejection of the measures was shortsighted on their part, but he wishes Gonzalez would have respected the vote as the Hornet was prepared to do.

“I understand why students voted these measures down. They’re facing tuition fee increases, they’re having hard time finding jobs, they’re feeling the economic pinch,” Wilson said. “Meanwhile, President Gonzalez has to look out for the welfare of this university as a whole and keep our programs running at the best of their ability.”

If ASI’s election turnout would have been higher than 14 percent of the student population – for example 50 percent – the outcome might have been different and Gonzalez would have had a harder time overturning the vote and increasing the fees, Wilson said.

The increase will help to offset the costs that come with newspapers such as printing, web site management and things such as photo and video equipment.

The Hornet receives most of its money, approximately two-thirds, from advertising. And the increase will help even out the economical struggle of loss-of-revenue through advertising.

The director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Terry Wanless, said the department certainly respects the student vote and it is very fortunate to have a president who understands that sometimes difficult decisions must be made in a broader scope.

“Students are very much under a significant amount of pressure to find funds to support their educational pursuits. But at the same time, in order to allow all of our programs to grow and maintain a sense of quality, decisions like this have to be made,” he said.

“It’s always infuriating when student referendums are not heard, it’s ignoring the student vote,” said Roberto Torres, president of ASI. “But the athletics fee increase was necessary and President Gonzalez did what he thought was necessary to keep the athletics department running.”

Due to the increase in university fees this past year, scholarship costs are rising meaning that fewer students will receive scholarships.

“I certainly applaud President Gonzalez for his vision, for his commitment to excellence and believe this was the appropriate decision in light of the vote,” Wanless said.

Before the tuition increase, the athletics department spent about $3.4 million per year in scholarships. Wanless said the athletics department is thankful for the fee increase and will mainly spend the money on scholarships.

According to the Sac State Fee Update Notice, intercollegiate athletics fee increase is composed of three tiers. First, $18 for fall 2009, $22 fall 2010 and finally a $22.50 increase for fall 2011 making a total of $125.00 per semester.

Effective this fall, the annual full-time state university fees will increase by $672 for undergraduate students, $780 for teacher credential students and $828 for graduate students. The increase is in addition to the $306 state university fee increase, for full-time undergraduates, that was adopted in May.

The undergraduate state university fee will go up from the current $3,354 to $4,026 per year. The state university fee is in addition to mandatory fees charged by each individual university, such as the student body association fee, facility fee, health services fee and athletics fee.

Blazej Bruzda can be reached at [email protected].