A differential tuition system being instituted at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is drawing the ire of students at another UW campus, who fear it devalues the voice of students across the UW System.
UW-La Crosse Student Association officials said they are concerned the decision to approve the BluGold Commitment, a $1,200 differential tuition for UW-Eau Claire that will be implemented over four years, will set a dangerous precedent for future differential tuition proposals.
SA met Feb. 10 to discuss a resolution that would require a formal student referendum to approve differential tuition proposals before they are brought to the Board of Regents.
According to UW-La Crosse SA President Erik Kahl, the resolution asks the Regents to reconsider student involvement in differential tuition requests.
The resolution notes that when the UW-Eau Claire campus was surveyed on the differential tuition initiative, approximately 69 percent of students who voted said they did not approve of the whole of the BluGold Commitment.
Postponing the decision on the final version of the BluGold Commitment, according to SA Vice President Karly Wallace, would have allowed students who opposed parts of the increase to have a more significant say in the proposal brought to the Regents.
Student Regent Aaron Wingad said the survey was conducted before the original amount for the BluGold Commitment was lowered to the now approved $1,200.
He said it is not clear if the decrease affected the student body’s overall opinion.
Wingad, who attends UW-Eau Claire, said he supported and voted on the increase in tuition even though it meant an increase in his bill for next year.
Before being sent to the Regents, support for the proposal was strong in the UW-Eau Claire student government. Although the opinion of the student government was less representative of the entire student body, Wingad said he put more weight on it because of the intensive involvement the student government members had in the crafting of the BluGold Commitment.
According to Wallace, the UW-La Crosse government was not in contact with students from UW-Eau Claire while they crafted the resolution.
Wallace said the resolution would not directly affect the BluGold Commitment and has no bearing on that particular decision.
SA will vote on the resolution Feb. 17. If passed, it will then go on to the Board of Regents.