A recent King County Superior Court ruling that abolished an annual energy fee for University of Washington students is encouraging, and offers hope to University of Oregon students that our own $30 per student, per term fee could eventually be removed, as well.
There are no lawsuits pending to challenge the energy fee in Oregon at this time. But Jasmin Weaver, the former student body president at UW who filed the lawsuit, has proved that university student executives have real power to combat nonessential fees. And if Washington can do it, so can we.
The ASUO Executive should press the University of Oregon administration for the immediate removal of the energy fee. The Washington ruling stated that UW’s energy fee was classified as a tuition increase, which, under Washington law, can only be authorized by the state legislature.
Washington, like Oregon, added the fee this school year to compensate for rising energy costs, which amounted to about $135 per student annually at UW. Now the university will have to refund the $1.4 million, with interest, back to students. It may be difficult to accomplish the same feat here because of differing budgetary procedures at the two schools. Nobody knows whether the Washington court’s decision will even affect the University of Oregon. But this ruling should serve as an example of what could be, if students were to rally behind the ASUO.
For its part, the ASUO needs to do more to get our energy fee money back into the hands of students. While their efforts to improve conservation around campus are admirable, ASUO President Nilda Brooklyn and Vice President Joy Nair should consider joining with the Oregon Student Association and other schools in the state to help lobby for the end of the fee.
At a time when most students are struggling to try to absorb the increase in their individual heating and electricity bills, they shouldn’t have to pick up the University’s electricity tab, too. Energy conservation is a major concern on every university campus, but unfair energy fees need be attacked more aggressively.
And students, often apathetic to student government, should be sure to follow this issue closely — we need to speak up and let the University of Oregon administration know that students won’t put up with any more tuition increases disguised as fees.