The student governments of ASU’s four campuses held a town hall meeting Friday to discuss a drafted proposal of a $75-per-semester student services facilities fee.The meeting, which was broadcast on each campus, marked the first time the Associated Students of Arizona State University held a simulcast teleconference. ASASU represents the student governments across all four campuses.

Justin Boren, president of the Graduate and Professional Student Association, led the discussion by explaining the need for the fee, its structure and the urgency behind the proposal’s passage.

“We all know that higher education is what happens outside the classroom just as much as what happens in the classroom,” said Boren, a communications graduate student. “There is a lack of adequate space on most campuses for students to experience the full extent of higher education.”

The $75 fee would fund the construction or renovation of student services like recreation facilities, health and wellness facilities, student engagement space and others on all four campuses.

Construction costs would be paid for by loans, and the fee money would be used to pay off those loans, he said.

Even with tuition and other fees rising, Boren said the time for implementing the facilities fee is now because construction costs and interest rates on construction loans are currently low in Arizona.

“Dollar for dollar, [right now] we can get more facilities for a lower overall investment,” he said.

Once each of the governments approves the proposal, the student governments will ask University administration to co-invest with them, Boren said.

“We want to cover the cost of construction, provided that the ASU administration can help us cover the cost of running the facilities,” he said.

The fee would not be put into place until the constructed facilities officially opened, Boren said, and it will take about 30 years to pay off the construction loans.

According to the proposal, a five-person student board comprised of one member from each campus government would be formed to oversee the use of the fee.

Undergraduate Student Government President Brendan O’Kelly said the proposal provides a great opportunity for students to take control of the fee instead of leaving it up to administrators to decide where the money goes.

“I have no doubt that this facilities fee and what it’s paying for will happen with or without student government input, through administratively driven fees in the future or tuition increase,” O’Kelly said.

He cited examples of other fees that lacked student input and are controlled by the University.

“I’d like for any of you to be able to tell me what the technology fee is spent on,” he said. “The student government was not behind that fee and therefore we don’t have control over what is spent on.”

Matt McCoy, president of ASASU Polytechnic, agreed with O’Kelly, saying he recognizes the financial burden of the fee, but also recognizes the opportunity it provides.

“I’d rather take a leadership role and get control of the fee right now instead of just letting it happen,” he said.

Addressing the other presidents, O’Kelly said he knows the fee will be unpopular with many students.

“I have no doubt students will speak out against this fee,” he said. “And that’s something that you should listen to — all of you. And I will as well.”

Athena Salman, USG senator for the W. P. Carey School of Business, said she has been actively reaching out to her constituency to learn its thoughts on the fee.

“I believe that there is concern over the proposed [amount] of the fee in terms of whether or not it will be affordable to students,” she said.

The proposed amount of the fee has dropped since discussions last semester. In October, USG was proposing a $125 facilities fee.

ASASU Downtown Vice President Beth Wischnia said many students would be opposed to the fee no matter the amount.

“I think if it were a $1 fee, there would still be some opposition,” Wischnia said.

The student governments are pushing to pass the proposal and present it to ASU administration before the Arizona Board of Regents meeting in March.

Reach the reporter at kjdaly@asu.edu