Loyalist student government using surveys for input on expenses

By Tyson Leonard

BELLEVILLE (10/08/12) Chris Detering is president of the Loyalist College student government. Photo by Tyson Leonard.

Loyalist College student government is using surveys to find out how to spend student ancillary fees.

Surveys sent out to students through e-mail are the primary way student government gathers input on how to spend the money, said Chris Detering, president of the Loyalist student government.

“The surveys have more or less been a proper way (to gather student input), and we haven’t heard any real complaints about them,” said Detering.

Full-time students at Loyalist College pay $148 into a student government activity fee each year. The fee is part of the $1,014 in ancillary fees students pays yearly.

“All of the ancillary fees are sort of filtered through student government,” said Detering.

According to the Loyalist College website, the student government fee goes to the student government to be used for social activities and to manage its office.

Some examples of projects that have been implemented due to the surveys are, new furniture for the Shark Tank, an outdoor skating rink possibly coming next year, and changing the student day planner to a weekly format.

Detering said about one third of students respond to the survey.

As an incentive to responding, the student government enters everyone who responds into a draw. The usual prize is $500.

Julie Cooper is the business manager for the student government and organizes the student surveys.

Cooper said funds for the monetary incentives on surveys come from the student government activity fee.

During the summer the surveys usually focus on social events, and during the fall and winter the surveys focus on facilities enhancements, technology, services, and athletics, said Cooper.

The student government also tries to gather student input through class leaders, said Cooper.

Detering said the proper way to bring up issues not on surveys is through a set up chain of command.

“Bring it to your class leader who will bring it to the dean’s meeting which will bring it up to the student government member there, who will bring it to the full board, and we will figure it out from there,” said Detering.

Detering also said he is always willing to talk to people personally.