News: briefs

Building fees will increase

Building fees, paid by students when they pay tuition and student fees, will likely increase in 2001-2003 and again 2003-2005.

State Bill 327 includes an increase of $10 per term for 2001-2003 to the current $25 per term student building fee. The fee would increase another $10 in 2003-2005 biennium if the bill passes the full legislature.

The Education Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee approved the bill and referred it to the full Ways and Means Committee with a recommendation to pass it. Shane Jordan, Portland State’s former student fee committee chair, presented testimony in support of the measure.

Student fees will remain same

Student Fees were originally set to increase by $3 for the next school year, 2001-2002. The student fee committee, in one of its last actions before the change of administration, revoked this increase based on enrollment projections.According to Chris Moller, the new student fee committee chair, Portland State’s student fee will remain at $127. This is the second lowest student fee among the Oregon state schools.

Moller said in an earlier interview that expected enrollment growth should offset any additional funding needs that had originally precipitated the need for an increase.

Find cheap books

Don’t forget that the Friends of the Portland State Library are holding their annual book sale this week.

The sale started yesterday, continues today and will end tomorrow. The sale, located in the Smith Center Ballroom, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow.

Most hardbacks will sell for $1 and paperbacks for 50 cents.

After 10 a.m. Thursday morning, books will sell for $1 per bag and at noon books are free.

Join a student group

The student organizing committee (SOC) is holding an SOC fair today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the park blocks. Participants have a chance to find out about student groups and how to get involved. There will also be prizes and student groups are invited to try to recruit new members for the organizations.

-Shawn C. Swisher