Recognizing that an on-campus football stadium is becoming increasingly likely, COGS passed a resolution in September 2005 urging the administration to let graduate students "opt out" of paying student fees to fund a new stadium. The resolution concludes with:
"BE IT RESOLVED that the representatives of the Council of Graduate Students reaffirm our opposition to the use of a student fee to finance an on-campus stadium, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, if a student fee to finance the on-campus stadium is absolutely unavoidable, this fee should be an opt-out for graduate students."
For more information, read the latest resolution and the minutes from the September meeting. This resolution modifies the previous resolution passed by COGS on February 5th, 2004.
Why does COGS oppose the use of manditory fees to pay for an on-campus
stadium?
The
administration has gone back and forth on whether it will add the fee to the
Student Service
Fee
($100/year
of which
already
goes
to pay
off
the
Coffman
Union over-run)
or roll it into our University Fee. While some
departments pay our University Fee, many do not. In addition, forcing
departments to cover an addition $100 in the fringe rate
hurts our departments and puts our funding in jeopardy.
Estimates put the cost of the stadium around $235 million dollars (up from $222 in December '04). Recently TCF put up $35 million for 29 years of naming rights. Part of this deal was based on the assumption that the state would cover 40% of the cost while game revenue, advertising, and fees would make up the final $141 million. When telling TCF that students supported using student fees to pay for a stadium, the admininistration obviously did not inform TCF of the fact that both COGS and GAPSA had resolutions which opposed using student fees.
There is currently a petition being circulated what states that we oppose this plan and we pledge to withhold any future donations or charitable gifts to the University if it implements this plan.
This does not mean that COGS is against the stadium. It does mean, however, that we oppose using student fees to pay for a stadium. Especially given the fact that we could be spending as much as $100 (nearly 1% of an annual salary for someone paid at base salary) for a facility we would not use. Statistically graduate students are less likely to attend football games. Furthermore, we can't teach in a stadium; we can't research in a stadium; we won't walk for graduation in a stadium.
Read COGS's position on this issue in the Minnesota Daily:
I am writing in response to Michelle Kuhl's letter questioning whether the Council of Graduate Students could "in good conscience" claim to represent graduate students on the stadium issue; we take such matters very seriously. It is obvious that COGS, and any other governance organization like it, cannot hope to represent every single one of its members. However, in this particular instance, it has become clear that most graduate students are opposed to paying fees for the stadium. I will outline some of the facts that justify our stance.
First, in conducting a survey of graduate and professional students on the stadium, about 75% were opposed to paying any fee for the stadium; in fact, only a slight majority wanted to see Gopher football return to campus at all. We are still conducting this survey. Any graduate or professional student who wants to take it should visit the COGS website. Second, I take issue with Michelle's assumption that because we only had "40 or so" people at our meetings, we cannot hope to represent out constituents. COGS membership increased by about 30% over the last year. While at a few meetings had around 40 members attend, still well over quorum, we had up to 80 people show up to COGS meetings this year with much "repeated membership." Like Michelle, each representative at a COGS meeting represents the students in their department, not themselves, so those 40 to 80 people may actually represent several thousand students. I know for a fact that most of our representatives take their duty seriously.
Third, in February COGS passed a resolution opposing fees for the stadium by an overwhelming majority, a much larger majority then similar votes in the University's other major governing bodies (MSA, GAPSA). Debate was decidedly against paying fees for the stadium (you can view the minutes at our website), and has been so since February as we have received updates and continued discussion on the issue.
As the President of COGS this past year, I made it clear to my fellow officers and to the constituents that I would only take a public position on an issue if I and the Council felt that there were enough voices at the table to be representative of our constituents. Again, COGS will take a position only when it feels it has a mandate. We had a clear mandate on this issue. I feel perfectly comfortable in stating that the majority of graduate students on this campus are opposed to paying student fees to support an on campus stadium.
Whether you support or oppose student fees for the stadium, or any other issue concerning graduate student life at this school, we urge all graduate students to attend COGS meetings or contact (or become) their department's COGS representative. There are many important issues beyond that of the stadium that require input, debate, and action, and the more students involved in the process, the better the graduate student experience at the University of Minnesota will become.
Chris Pappas
(outgoing) President of the Council of Graduate Students (COGS),
(incoming) At-Large Director, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA)
There have been some changes to the Graduate Assistant Health Plan for the 2003-2004 school year. The most notable changes include copays for office visits and a more structured prescription drug copay as well. Some of these changes are confusing. We are hoping to provide updated information about all of these changes.
About office copays: There is now a between a $10 and $25 office copay that you are required to pay for each visit. Thus, if you go to the doctor for some tests and are return the next week to talk with your doctor about the results, you will have to pay your copay twice. If you do not pay on the spot, you will be charged from Boynton. A bill may take several weeks to reach you.
About prescription drugs: Every plan has what is called a drug formulary. On this formulary listing, all drugs available as a part of the health plan are listed. Different drugs are listed at different prices. Thus, a retail (name brand) version of a drug may appear at one price bracket, but the generic equivalent may listed at a lower bracket. Not all drugs have to be listed on the formulary. For the GA Health Plan, the brackets range from $10 for some generic drugs up to $50 depending on the drug. Make sure to explicitly ask your doctor if there are cheaper generic equivalents to any prescriptions you are getting. Because of drug patents, some drugs do not have generic equivalents yet. BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota has a complete drug formulary on their website.
Important links
Fees, fees everywhere. There are more fees appearing on graduate student bills. It would be nice to know what these fees are, where they go, and why we are being charged these fees. Some colleges are implementing extra fees, such as 'Technology Fees' and no one seems to know why there are there or how they got there.
Here is part of the answer. There are various levels of fees charged to students at the U of MN: University level, student status level, college level, and course level.
MSA's "Project Lighthouse" is an inititative to address serious concerns with housing safety the wake of the recent fire in Dinkytown. Among the grim facts reported was that landlords only have to pay a $100 fine for violations of the housing code per property, not per each individual violation, if they don't fix it in 90 days. Minneapolis does not have nearly enough inspectors to cover all of the properties, and inspectors can only show up once every 90 days. COGS supports MSA in this effort as housing problems affect graduate students as much as they affect undergraduates.
More information about Project Lighthouse is available from MSA.