In a blatant display of authoritative arrogance, the administration at Middle Tennessee State University will proceed with enacting a new fee on the student body to build a parking garage, Sidelines reports. This after students voted by a 10-point margin to deny the institution of the “All Access” fee last Spring.

SGA President Brandon McNary, who supported the fee increase proposal last year, said, “The students did vote down a bill about increased fees last semester. However, it was a relatively close vote and [administrators] have found a way to ultimately cut the fees in half for the students.” Tell that to the voters in southern Florida who cast ballots for Al Gore in 2000.

From the article:

McNary said the controversy surrounding the “Vote Yes” campaign probably played a significant role in how students voted in the referendum last year. The controversy surrounded the usage of student activity fees to fund a marketing campaign promoting the parking garage. 

“Many students were very upset by that and voted no due to that reason,” he said.

I covered this issue extensively and campaigned against it. In case you don’t remember, the Parking and Transportation Services Department launched an expensive campaign using student fees to pay for signs, shirts, a website, and other materials encouraging students to vote in the affirmative.

Sidelines has an opinion on this issue, as well:

Apparently, MTSU’s administration did this as a fake showing of democracy, as they are planning to raise fees regardless of the outcome of the vote. This is an insult to those students who voted, whether in favor or opposed, and a waste of money on marketing that the university does not have.

As the number of millions of dollars that MTSU must cut continues to rise, administrators want to take out loans totaling $34 million to pay for an aesthetically pleasing parking garage. And who must pay off these bonds? The students through gradual fee increases over the next few years.

Administrators should be held accountable for their blatant disregard of the process by which students said “No.” If they can arbitrarily invalidate those election results, why have a voice for students anyway? Why does Student Government exist?

And why such a strong defense of the administration’s decision from SGA President Brandon McNary? Isn’t he supposed to be the voice of the student body, not of the administration?

The DNJ sits down with Parking & Transportation Services Director Ron Malone to discuss MTSU’s parking dilemma post-garage fee vote.

MTSU officials are rethinking the future of parking and campus transportation after students turned down a referendum that would have raised fees to build a parking garage and improve campus streets.

In a 1,888 to 1,508 vote, students rejected a move to raise the program services fee incrementally by $60 beginning in 2013-2014 to build a $20 million parking garage and make $12 million worth of improvements to MTSU Boulevard and an extension of Blue Raider Drive to connect to Wiles Court.

MTSU students can thank several informed students who mounted a campaign against the garage fee several weeks ago.

From the National Student News Service: check this out.

Matthew Hurt[t], a student at Middle Tennessee State University, is gaining national coverage for his blog’s critique of how MTSU’s administration is spending student money. 

Neat. I just wanted to point that out.

Inside Higher Ed covered the story, as well.

The following are the results from the 2009 SGA Election:

SGA President: Brandon McNary – 1853 / Steven Altum – 1197
Executive Vice President: Heather Rawson – 2049 / Michael Borella – 989
VPAPA: Sarah Ayache – 1829 / Erin Johnson – 1249

On the question on the “All Access” Fee Increase:
No Votes: 1888 / Yes Votes: 1508

“All Access”… DENIED!

Thanks to all those students who voted “No” on this issue!