The role of MU’s Student Fee Review Committee is unclear. MU administrators and student leaders are considering amending the current student fee review process, but it is not clear what these changes will look like.

Student fees will increase by $11.16 as approved by the UM System Board of Curators in February.

During fall 2011, student fees at MU were reviewed by the Student Fee Review Committee, which is comprised of Missouri Students Association and Graduate Professional Council members.

In past years, the SFRC would review student fees and submit legislation to MSA Senate and GPC highlighting the changes in each specific fee. This legislation is also required in the MSA and GPC bylaws.

This year, no legislation was brought to MSA or GPC. Instead, the reviewed fees were given directly to Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs, who approved them and sent them to the UM System Board of Curators.

At some Big 12 and SEC schools, student review processes differ from the precedent at MU.

The student fee review process at the University of Kansas is similar to the way MU’s process has worked in the past. The student senate must approve the fee proposals before they are sent to the administration.

At KU, “Fee Units,” or the groups that will receive the fees, have the opportunity to attend a hearing with the Student Senate Fee Review Committee to present budget requests.

“After these hearings, the committee deliberates and prepares a recommendation,” said Josh Dean, KU Student Senate Finance Committee chairman, in an email.

At the University of Arkansas, student fee increases start in specific student organizations, which can approach a cabinet member of the Associated Student Government. These cabinet members can sponsor a bill for consideration by the ASG Senate.

If the Senate approves the fee increase, the issue goes to a referendum.

“Then the students as a whole get to vote whether or not this fee should be increased,” said Bailey Moll, secretary of the University of Arkansas Associated Student Government.

For the 2011-12 academic year, a new group, the student-run Programs Allocations Board, was given almost complete control over how student fee money is used.

“It gave students a lot more control,” Moll said.

He said the chancellor always approves all changes less than 20 percent.

At the University of Alabama, student fees are included with tuition.

“In terms of student fees, we don’t have student fee,” said Ryan Flamerich, speaker of the senate at Alabama. “How our campus determines funds for an entity like the student government, all of that is taken out of our tuition dollars. There’s a small percentage of every tuition dollar that goes to the Department of Student Affairs.”

Student fee money is allocated from a large sum of money to different student organizations. If there is a need for an increase in the total amount that can be allocated, students can petition the Alabama Division of Student Affairs.

“This year, we allocated over $120,000 to student organizations, but it was determined that we needed more money for student organizations,” Flamerich said. “After tuition rates are set, there is a finite amount of resources available.”

Alabama Student Affairs approved an increase to $250,000 in total student fees available for the 2012-13 academic year.

“Our department of Student Affairs has always been interested in empowering students,” Flamerich said.

At MU, the SFRC is being changed because of what MSA Senate Speaker Jake Sloan considers a conflict of interest.

“I think it’s very biased the way MSA operates as part of SFRC,” he said. “If MSA wanted, we could constantly approve ourselves for fee increases.”

Sloan said possible changes include allowing any MU student to apply for the SFRC. Sloan also said MSA will see legislation on the SFRC changes this week.