Huiyi Jiang(408) 517-9129503ENTERPRISE: fee increaseThe De Anza Student Body Association (DASB) is currently debating a proposal for a $2.00 fee increase for the cost of the DASB card. The fee increase, if passed, will most likely be used to fund new or special programs at De Anza College, which can help to expose students to a wider variety of extracurricular opportunities. According to Vice President of Administration Wayne Spalding,”The two dollar increase is a way to fund special projects for [De Anza organizations like] Eco Pass and The Green Initiative Fund and give students more opportunities to help the campus.” The Eco Pass system will give De Anza students free access to public transportation such as VTA buses and light rail trains. Programs like The Green Inititiative Fund (TGIF) serve to fund on-campus projects that will help with De Anza’s environmental sustainability. TGIF teaches students on ways the De Anza campus can be made greener and how the college can reduce its carbon footprint by allowing student participation in the project funding and by offering paid jobs. The proposed $2.00 fee increase has the potential to generate a fair amount of revenue at a low cost to students.”For every $1.00 raise, we earn about a $75,000,” says Spalding, “these are rough estimates but a $2.00 increase would raise about $150,000.” Whether the $2.00 fee increase will pass or not is still unknown as the debate over the proposal has as many supporters as opponents.”I do not know if [the proposal for the $2.00 increase] will pass,” says Spalding, “There is no indication that there will be a $2.00 increase. The idea is still being debated in the DASB.” Proponents for the fee increase believe that the proposal will help to generate revenue for essential programs. Opponents of the plan argue that the increase in DASB card fees will cause many students, who may find the fees too expensive, to stop paying them altogether. According to Vice Chair of Administration Omar Ali,”The necessity of the fee depends on what it is used for. If it is used to pay for programs like the Eco Passes on campus, then, yes, it is necessary. If it is used to pay for existing on-campus programs, then, no, it would not be necessary.”If passed, students would see the $2.00 increase upon registration as part of the registration fees. The $2.00 fee increase comes at a time during which school budgets are tight and public colleges must decide how school activities and classes will be funded. Controversy over fee increases for college programs has already arisen in the recent lawsuit against Cal State by its students forbidding the university from charging self-support fees for regular credit bearing classes during winter and summer quarters. CSU argued that the recent $548 million state budget cut makes it very difficult for the university to continue providing summer and winter courses without self-support fees. As such, the DASB is still debating if the $2.00 fee increase will be worth it or not.