Thursday, October 7, 1993
Student Activities Fee considered
by Robert Moffett
Colkgian Stgff
Plans to adopt a student
activity fee at Behrend are
developing. The proposed $25
fee would, if accepted, be assessed
to students beginning in the fall
of 1994.
Joe Mycka, President of SGA,
said the Commonwealth Campus
Student Government (CCSG)
will meet this weekend to
determine how much support
exists for the proposal and if
plans to implement the fee
should continue.
In the summer of 1992, the
Council of Chief Student Affairs
Officers appointed a task force to
study the implications of an
Big man on campus
by April Ilogdanski
CoHaim
Two of the most important
positions at Behrend are Provost
and Dean. Both of these
positions are filled by the
person, Dr. John Lilley.
But, do the students really
know who he is?
Lilley came .from modest
economic circumstances. His
parents had high hopes and
dreams for him. They wanted
him to become a public school
teacher. His parents have been
very supportive personally and
his professors professionally.
"My professors were the ones
who encouraged me to attend
graduate school," said Lilley.
Lilley received his
undergraduate and master's degree
in music at Baylor University in
Waco, Texas. He received his
doctorate in music at the
University of Southern
Csdifamia.
From 1966 to 1976 he was a
professor of music at Claremont
College in California. This was
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activity fee.
The plan for a student activity
fee was developed last December
here at Behrend by Chris Reber
and John Lilley. The plan
follows a proposal written by the
Penn State University Council of
Chief Student Affairs Officers.
According to the proposal
drafted by the council, "a fee has
the potential to enhance
significantly out-of-class
programs and services at some, if
not all, Penn State campuses."
The proposal also states that "a
modest activities fee... could
enhance services and meet new
needs without taxing the
University's existing funding
sources."
Lilley stated in a memo that
a time of demonstrations, free
speech, and anti-war movements.
He then went into academic
administration at Kansas State
University as Assistant Dean of
Arts and Sciences. Kansas State
was a good experience because of
its public service role, open
admissions, and research
environment, Lilley said.
Kansas State sent him to the
Institute for Educational
Management at Harvard Business
School.
Dick Chait, the education
director of the Harvard institute,
subsequently went to Penn
State. He was responsible for
recruiting Lilley into the pool of
candidates for Provost of
Behrend. This recruiting process
included a search committee
conducting an interview of
finalists.
When asked how he likes it
here at Behrend, Lilley said,
"Behrend has been a wonderful
opportunity to build and to
create a lint rate institution mat
really values learnin,g through
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The Council of Chief Student
Affairs Officers believes that a
two-year pilot project should be
tested on one or more campuses.
The plan proposed for Behrend is
based on the parameters
"the number of registered student
organizations at Behrend has
increased by 23 since 1987 to an
all-time record of 71 current
groups."
Lilley adds that the overall
funding to these organizations
has decreased in the last five
years.
"The growth in organizations
combined with the cutback in
funding has resulted in an average
club allotment that is 30% lower
than in 1989," Lilley also stated
in the memo.
inspirational teaching and solid
research. Most people who have
a position like mine are
managing decline desperately.
They are losing students,
resources, and quality."
"This part of the country needs
a small university where
teaching and research are valued.
Here at Behrend there is truth and
beauty, but also science,
business, and engineering. This
region needs an institution
especially dedicated to research,
and this is what Behrend is."
"Teaching and research make
up the learning environment.
Penn State-Behrend is the only
institution in this region which
requires every instructor to be
significantly involved in
research," Lilley said. 'This is
our unique responsibility."
"We have the strongest student
body of all local schools, and it
is improving. We are creating
an institution of inspiration
while protecting the campus'
natural beauty."
When Lilley was asked about
the proposed activities fee. he
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recommended by the council.
According to these
recommendations, the activity fee
would be instated on a two-year
trial basis, during which time, a
fee of $25 wiU be charged to full
time students, and a pro-rated fee
to part-time students.
Income from the fee would not
replace, but rather supplement,
any existing funding for the
programs on campus.
All money generated at Belvend
would stay at Ildinmd.
Funds would be limited to use
for student organizations,
residence life, athletics, and
intramurals. The money would
not pay anyone's salary.
Funding would be distributed
among campus programs by a
Quip BrownlCalegian Phawspher
Late Show with John LIIley?: Not really, but we flipped the
photo sideways in case you were wondering.
said he is strongly in favor of it
"My colleagues and I feel that
students involved in
extracurricular activities have
done the best historically."
Coffee with the Provost is an
activity here at Behrend in which
students can sit down with Dr.
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committee of students, faculty,
and staff. These decisions would
be subject to approval by campus
executives.
CCSG coordinator Ben
Stevenson said that the idea is
still in the planning stages.
According to the National
Association for Campus
Activities, almost 75% of four
year colleges have an activity fee.
The Association of College
Unions-International reports that
campuses with 5,000 or fewer
full-time students have activity
fees ranging from $lO to well
over $lOO.
The CCSG meeting this
weekend will determine which
Student government
organizations support the
proposal.
Lilley and discuss things with
him. It is open to everyone.
"Coffee with the provost is an
important time to me," said
Lilley.
Lilley feels that he learns a lot
from the interaction.
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