February 12, 2025
Written by: Sadie Latimer | News Editor
Students often wonder what all of the fees paid alongside tuition go towards. One of these payments is the incidental fee, which funds many campus amenities such as ASWOU, Abby’s House and athletics. All students are required to pay the incidental fee as part of their tuition due to Oregon regulations.
The Incidental Fee Committee — IFC — is tasked with deciding the amount of the fee and overseeing the distribution of the money. It has nine members and three advisors, with all of the members being students.
Students can either run for election, be nominated by Western president Jesse Peters or be nominated by ASWOU President Brenda Rocio Martinez.
One student who was appointed by President Peters is Cody Dickenson, a junior majoring in public health. Dickenson wants to make sure students know what they’re paying for so they can take advantage of the clubs, organizations and events. “It’s always great in any area to have knowledge of where your money is going to and have a say in what to do with it,” Dickenson said.
The Committee Chair is Rhylie Sevits, a senior and gerontology major at Western.
According to Sevits, if an event, organization or club is funded by the IFC, the committee’s logo must be present on any posters on campus. “Once you know that, you can literally see where your money is going,” Sevits said.
Another member, Nathaniel Rivera, said that it’s important to have the incidental fee because it helps support students. A portion of the funds goes toward the payroll of many campus jobs. Without the fee, many programs would not exist, and many student workers would not be getting paid.
IFC members know that students have a right to be aware of where their fees are going, and they also have a right to voice their opinions about the incidental fee. The committee is holding hearings that are open to Western students who want to advocate for different distributions of the funds. The open hearings will be February 24, 26 and 27. More information on the hearings can be found on the IFC website under “IFC Meeting Schedule.”
“I want to emphasize going to the open hearings … getting your voice out there and being involved in this process,” Dickenson said.
The process of deciding the fee amount is essentially a small debate, according to IFC member Aidan VanDyke. The committee — along with its advisors, ASWOU representatives and any other students who wish to participate — look at the fee from the previous year and discuss whether they want to raise, lower or keep it relatively the same. They also take into account the opinions and requests of students who speak at the open hearings. Once the IFC is satisfied with the proposed budget, it goes through several layers of people and organizations, including the ASWOU senate, President Peters and the Board of Trustees.
The process is long and diligent, making sure that the programs included in the fee have the money they need to provide the best experience possible for Western students.
Contact the author at howlnews@mail.wou.edu
