Referendum for GSC Fee Collection

In December 1996, the graduate students of UCSC voted in a special election to assess themselves an additional fee to supplement the existing funds for construction of a graduate student center, the Graduate Student Commons. A $16/quarter/student fee passed, with a 68% majority, which the students will not begin paying until the facility is completed in Fall 2000. The fee will go towards paying off the construction loan from the UC Regents.

The following is the original wording of the referendum ballot. Option 2 is the option that was passed by the graduate students.

In order to enhance graduate student life, shall the graduate students of UCSC assess themselves one of the following fees to build, operate, and maintain a Graduate Commons facility?

Option 1: Yes, I favor an additional fee of $28 per quarter per student (for 27 years), to supplement the existing $20 per quarter per student mandatory Facilities Fee, to build a Graduate Commons containing such spaces as a graduate lounge, study spaces, a conference room, two grad organization offices, lockers and showers, a casual restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating, a self-contained terminal room for grad use, and meetings rooms with audio-visual equipment for small meetings and practice talks. Fee will commence when facilities are built and available for use. If two-thirds of students do not vote for this option, this will be counted as a vote in favor of Option 2.

Option 2: Yes, I favor an additional fee of $16 per quarter per student (for 27 years), to supplement the existing $20 per quarter per student mandatory Facilities Fee, to build a Graduate Commons containing such spaces provided by Option 1, except for the graduate terminal room and meeting rooms with audio-visual equipment. Fee will commence when facilities are built and available for use.

Option 3: No, I do not favor either Option 1 or 2.

Discussion

This mandatory fee referendum is placed on the ballot by a resolution of the Graduate Student Association. It requires a two-thirds majority of a minimum voting pool of at least 20% of the graduate student body. Only one fee can be instituted. If the $28 fee, Option 1, receives two-thirds favorable vote, it will be instituted. If Option 1 does not receive two-thirds of the vote, those votes will be combined with votes for Option 2. If the total votes combined for Option 1 and Option 2 equal two-thirds of the voting pool, Option 2, the $16 fee, will be instituted. If two-thirds of the voters do not favor either option individually or in combination, no fee will be instituted.

Funding

The proposed facilities will cost the students:

Option 1: $28 per student per quarter for 27 years for a total of $1,060,000. Other funding that will support the development and maintenance of these facilities include:

$1,222,000 accrued upon construction from the existing Grad Facilities Fee
$171,000 in Chancellor's Discretionary Funds
$209,000 projected in revenue from generated from rental/lease of new facilities.

Option 2: $16 per student per quarter for 27 years for a total of $605,000. Other funding that will support the development and maintenance of these facilities include:

$1,222,000 accrued upon construction from the existing Grad Facilities Fee
$171,000 in Chancellor's Discretionary Funds
$209,000 projected in revenue from generated from rental/lease of new facilities.

These facilities would be constructed and maintained pursuant to a twenty-seven (27) year loan which would be repaid from the fund sources listed above.

Facilities Governance

Prior to and during the construction of the facility, all decisions pertaining to the facility, including, but not limited to, facility design, location, and size will be made by a Building Committee composed from a wide campus constituency, the majority of whose members will be graduate students.

After construction of the Graduate Commons is completed, the facility will be governed by a Governance Board, the composition of which will be decided by the Building Committee. The majority of the members of the Governance Board will be graduate students.

Location

The Graduate Commons will be placed in the same (or adjacent) complex as the Bay Tree Bookstore in the campus planning area designated as "Core East". The complex will take advantage of renovations to the existing bookstore building, as best determined by the architectural design, and the minimization of the environmental impact.

Description of proposed facility

Option 1, $28 per quarter per student. Total assignable square footage estimated at 6025, with space broken down to provide for:

Two offices - One to house the Graduate Student Association.
Graduate student lounge
Conference room - Used with grad priority.
Study spaces - Used with grad priority.
Locker and shower area
Casual restaurant
- Kitchen
- Indoor floor seating
- Pool table and darts
- Outdoor deck/patio area
Graduate computer terminal room - Printers and computer terminals with ethernet connection for up to 20 users.
Meeting rooms - Small meeting rooms with A-V equipment to facilitate talks.

Option 2, $16 per quarter per student. Total assignable square footage estimated at 4825, with space broken down to provide for:

All items in Option 1, except:
- Graduate computer terminal room (A few computer terminals would be added to the lounge, instead.)
- Meeting rooms

NOTE: This measure was submitted through the Graduate Student Association. Election draft policy indicates that it would, as a mandatory fee, require a two-thirds majority of a minimum voting pool of 20% of the graduate student body.

Back to the GSC home page Back to the history page