Your Fees at Work

For the Students, By the Students

The Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) remains committed to ensuring students are represented at the local, state and federal levels in terms of higher education policy. Additionally, our team of seasoned professionals from both the non-student and student sides are committed to ensuring each dollar paid for by students through their annual fee is put to work with a mission of providing a one of a kind collegiate experience.

We welcome you to explore this page to learn more about the historical nature of the ASI fee and to see how ASI is working for you. For more information about the ASI fee, please email us at asi@csusb.edu. 

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ASI Fee Background

The California State University, San Bernardino Student Association Fee was first implemented as $6.50 per quarter, excluding summer, in 1965 by Executive Order 17. This fee has experienced four referendums and three readjustments from either the Chancellor’s Office or CSUSB Administration. Now known as the ASI Fee, the fee is assessed annually at $111 and is categorized as a Category II Fee. With each referendum, students voted to increase the fiscal responsibility of the Associated Students, Incorporated (ASI).

Currently, the organization is charged with funding areas such as year-round programming, the Children’s Center, Club Allocation Budget, Research and Travel grants, and scholarships. 

Executive Orders: California State University SystemCSU EO 1102: Student Fee Policy

Referendums Over the Years

Academic Date: October 28 - 29, 1968

Topic: Increase Fees to finance a Student Union Building 

• Outcome: Fails to gain 2/3 margin required with 53% of students voting in favor (Count: 229-205) 
• Summary: In order to start building a $270,000 building, the College Union Committee need to obtain a 2/3 majority vote. Many dissented because they did not feel that there was a sufficient student population to require a student union building. ASI president Jerry Rhode and Dean of Kenton Monroe both commented that the freshman voter turnout was low compared to the other levels while that demographic had the most to gain, as the juniors and seniors would not be in the facilities long enough to be able to experience the new building. 

Academic Date: March 4 - 5, 1970

Topic: Fee to construct a Student Union 

• Outcome: Fails to gain 2/3 majority required (Count: 296-234) 
• Summary: The proposed fee increase of $3 per quarter for the first year, $5 per quarter for the second, and $6.50 for the third once the facility was finished. With an approximate voter turnout of 35%, the proposal was rejected again, needing a 2/3 majority vote. 

Academic Date: April 22, 1971

Topic: Fee to construct a Student Union Building

• Outcome: Passes by a vote of 461-200
• Summary: After three years, the Union was finally approved. The proposal included $910,000 dollars for the Union that would begin construction immediately. The notion passed by eight votes, since the referendum needed a 2/3 majority. The activities advisor, Richard Bennecke, said “the proposal passed because the students felt the need for the union this year”. He also added that “a good article in the PawPrint and a theme” helped to pass the proposal. A board was created immediately as well. The money in the increased fees paid for a down payment, but Bennecke said the committee would start looking for donors to help with construction of the building and the building would be named after the donor that gave over $200,000.

Academic Date: February 25 - 26, 1975

Topic: System wide Student Fee Assessment

• Outcome: San Bernardino students vote to retain their previous fee schedule
• Summary: John Pfau, CSUSB President, encouraged this fee increase. He said, “There is a direct relationship between the current level of ASB (ASI) fee and the variety and quality of activities available to the students on the campus. Every year ASB (ASI) receives more requests than it can support. The ASB (ASI) officers try hard to fund many programs but can only do so if the fee remains unchanged.”

Academic Date: November 8 - 9, 1978

Topic: Name change of Associated Student Body (ASB) to Associated Students Inc. (ASI)

• Outcome: Passes
• Summary: While the vote needed 129 votes to pass, the amendment received 139 Yes votes, 42 No, and 12 Blank, effectively changing the name of the Associated Student Body (ASB) to the current Associated Students Inc. (ASI). Time Hamre, ASI Judicial Representative, wrote an editorial stating that the now old name sounded childish and hurt the organization’s chances of moving in business when dealing with higher organizations. He said the new name sounded more professional and would allow the organization to be more readily accepted at professional. 

Academic Date: November 15 - 16, 1983

Topic: Double “Instructionally Related Activity Fee” to help fund intercollegiate athletics & Change of Name for Campus Mascot

• Outcome: Passes with a vote of 946-478 (5,446 students enrolled)
• Summary: A $10 per year fee increase was voted on with 26% voter turnout reported. Of the $150,000 for intercollegiate sports, this fee increase covered almost $60,000 of the total amount needed. The rest will be covered by the university budget. 

Academic Date: May 13 - 14, 1986

Topic: Fee increase from $41-$70 annually to finance an addition to the Student Union & from $20-$36 to provide more operating funds to ASI.

• Outcome: Student Union Fees – Passes with a 68% voting approval | ASI Fees – Passes with a 70% voting approval
• Summary: The proposal was a great success with a larger voter turnout than the average. Both items passed with around 70% approval. One of the main reasons this referendum passed was the lack of increases in the last 20 years. As the Chronicle pointed out in their article in support of the referendum, while fee increases had not gone up in 20 years, inflation had gone up almost 9% on average during those years. There was some push back for the fee increase and additions, such as not being utilized by enough of the students. However, the Chronicle pointed out that the fees would allow for additions to the building as well as additional services such as Child Care Center, no-interest emergency loans, check cashing privileges, Book Co-op, and student club funding. 

Academic Date: March 13 - 14, 1990

Topic: ASI seeking to increase fees by $14 to support the campus move from NCAA Division III to Division II 

• Outcome: Defeated with 412 votes in the negative & 362 votes in the affirmative.
• Summary: The referendum lost by 50 votes in an election that brought out over 40% less students than expected in both CSUSB and the Coachella Valley Center. The negative vote hurt most sport’s funding but some sports like soccer and baseball could still raise adequate funding. David Suenram, CSUSB Athletic Director, said “I hope the funding will be given a second chance… I will definitely hold an informational session at the Coachella Valley Center”. ASI President Aaron Watson also commented on the matter, adding, “ASI hasn’t been doing a good enough job filling needs at the Coachella Valley Center”.

Academic Date: April 18 - 19, 1994

Topic: Approve a $54 per year fee to increase the athletics budget by $18.00

• Outcome: Passes with a vote of 474-429
• Summary: With a $18 per quarter fee increase on the line and only one candidate for each position running, 903 students voted in front of Brown, Pfau, and University Hall buildings. With a voter turnout of around 7.5%, not many students voted, which could be a result the lack of candidates. This has helped to fund intermural recreation and a full-time baseball coach. 

Academic Date: February 28 - March 1, 2001

Topic: Increase fees to expand the Student Union, build a Recreation Center, augment Cross Cultural Programming, and add to athletics grants-in-aid.

• Outcome: Passes with a vote of 1,285-483
• Summary: In a vote nicknamed “D-Day”, fees increased by $43 per quarter to help expand the Student Union, build a Recreation center, augment Cross Cultural Programming and add to athletics grants-in-aid. With a voter turnout of almost 12%, the referendum won by over 800 votes. It was the highest voter turnout for a referendum in school history. However, some students felt that the event was poorly advertised, with only two voting booths open near the Student Union. They argued that some people primarily enter one building and exit to go home, never going near the student union. Another argument brought up was the fact that while students are paying increased fees now, their monies will go toward future students only, not toward anything they will be able to see within their four years at the university. Despite these arguments, the students voted and the issue passed overwhelmingly.

Academic Date: February 28 - March 1, 2007

Topic: Increase Fees for the expansion of the Health Center. $37 per quarter in 2007-2008, $16 per quarter in 2008-2009, and $2 per quarter in 2009-2010. 

• Summary: With a $55 quarterly increase spread out over three years, the Health Center and ASI would be granted necessary funds for addition programs and services for students. The Health Center would be able to maintain all free or low-cost programs that it already has in addition to building an 11,000-square foot addition. The outcome in unknown. 

Academic Date: February 29 - March 1, 2012

Topic: ASI fee to increase support for scholarships, student research and travel, the Children’s Center, and to increase funding for ASI programs and services that enrich the college experience for CSUSB students. Fee increase of $14 per quarter. 

• Outcome: Passes with a vote of 501-493
• Summary: While other fee and tuition increases were being thought over, elections for an increase for funding for the ASI scholarship, the President Academic Excellence Scholarship, student athlete’s scholarships, student’s research and travel funding, increase funding for the Children’s Center, and more support for ASI programming and services. Many options and alternatives were though over for each initiative that was to increase funding. However, the referendum passed with only eight votes more for the affirmative, effectively increasing fees. Voter turnout for this election, about 5.5% was dismal. The referendum increased quarterly revenue around a quarter of a million dollars for all projects included.