Why is the College still charging a Student Activity Fee if many on-campus programs are suspended for fall 2020?
While in-person gatherings, club events and other student activities will no doubt look different this semester than in years past, the College will continue to provide a range of services to support a robust student experience at New Paltz this fall.
The Student Activity Fee is set and approved by Student Governance, not the campus administration. In light of changes to campus operations this fall, Student Governance voted to reduce the Student Activity Fee from $105 per semester to $80 for fall 2020.
That fee supports many student life programs and infrastructure that will continue to be offered to students this fall, including:
- Coordination and support for our 200+ clubs and organizations
- Resources for Student Governance that will ensure students have a voice during a critical time for our campus community
- Funding for Oasis/Haven, two student-staffed programs that provide peer-to-peer mental health support and crisis intervention services
- Maintenance of the ENGAGE web platform that allows clubs to plan events, recruit new members and express their mission and goals
- Support for the Children’s Center of New Paltz, Inc., a non-profit corporation that provides high-quality, on-campus care for children of SUNY New Paltz students.
We understand and acknowledge that the College may not be able to provide the full extent of student activities this fall, but our team is working tirelessly to ensure that students continue having opportunities to engage with one another and our campus community, while also remaining healthy and safe, until our return to more normal operations. Conducting activities in a modified or virtual way will require all of us to think differently and creatively, but it also gives us a chance to tap into new and potentially revolutionary ways of doing things that will stand the test of time.
