For the first time in over a decade, the Associated Students of Whitman College voted in favor of a proposal not to raise its Student Activity Fee for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Last Sunday, Jan. 31, the ASWC Senate decided unanimously against raising a fee that, according to sophomore ASWC Finance Chair Matt Dittrich, has undergone a yearly increase since its initiation decades ago.

The Student Activity Fee, which is included in students’ tuition package, constitutes a large percentage of ASWC’s annual operating budget.

The fee was set at $320 for the current 2009-2010 academic year, a significant increase from 2003-2004, the earliest year on ASWC record, when the fee was set at $226.

Dittrich spearheaded the proposal not to raise the fee, receiving unanimous support from both the Finance Committee and the Senate.

“Due to the terrible state of the economy and the great financial burden which families and college students are currently incurring, I believe it is the duty of ASWC’s government to keep tuition costs as low as possible,” Dittrich said in an e-mail. “It is our duty to compose a modest budget, a modest budget that works.”

Dittrich is confident that the current fee will be sufficient for funding student activities and services for the upcoming year and does not believe club funding and ASWC initiatives will be affected by the vote. ASWC plans to add several new clubs and salaried positions to next year’s budget, and new initiatives are in the works, including the installation of laser printers in residence halls and the creation of an Outdoor Program Travel Fund.

“I will ask all of our clubs and budgeted items to submit conservative budget requests. We will also be budgeting for an additional 30 students,” said Dittrich. “Finally, we have a few contingency funds that have been underused or not used at all, which we can reallocate for other, more beneficial purposes.”

He plans to find an extra $19,000 for the 2010-2011 budget, a conservative estimate.

ASWC salaried position holders and club representatives will submit budget requests in early March, from which Dittrich will draft a budget. Two finance forums will follow in early April, allowing students to petition their salaries and club funding.

Dittrich will present his final budget for 2010-2011 to the Senate on Sunday, April 18, for approval.