ASUCI but does receive funds from the Student Referendum Fee,

 

Whereas, the New University has faced economic hardship for more than a decade without

outside assistance,

 

Whereas, the New University has refrained until the most dire need from asking students to fund

this award-winning newspaper, preferring to exhaust all options before asking for campus

support to maintain the publication,

 

Whereas, the New University’s first Measure U Newspaper Fund referendum passed in UCI’s

Spring 2013 elections, and is set to expire in Spring 2018.

 

Whereas, the New University has been saving money and lowering costs in any way possible by

reducing editorial space, creating shorter issues, cutting full-time staff and editorial board

stipends, and cutting distribution by increasing online presence,

 

Whereas, this referendum would be used to fund the operations of the New University to ensure

it is able to continue to sustain its operations, is able to maintain staff and operations, and the

University is informed of what is occurring on the campus in perpetuity,

 

Whereas, the New University is regarded as one of the few large and noteworthy college print

publications south of Los Angeles,

 

Whereas, the end of the New University would result in an end of the only regular widespread

media presence on campus and losing the check and balance that the University needs to stay

transparent to the student body and thus a UCI population less aware of campus events, news,

and culture, which would be detrimental to the activism of the UCI community,

 

Whereas, the funding of the operations would allow it to continue publishing, expand digitally,

and present the UCI population with a check and balance as well as needed transparency, quality

journalism, voice of the various clubs, communities, groups, individuals, and organizations on

campus, and coverage of events and conditions that the UC system is currently experiencing and

will conceivably experience for the foreseeable economic climate,

 

Whereas, the New University has recently expanded its coverage of various, if not all, aspects of

campus life to bring to the eyes of the UCI population, and would continue and increase such

efforts should funds become available,

 

Therefore, let it be resolved that the Measure U Newspaper Fund (MUNF) referendum be placed

on the ballot for the Spring 2018 elections with the approval of Senate.

 

Measure U Newspaper Fund Extension

 

Referendum

 

 

Do you approve the increase to the existing Measure U fee ($0.99 per student per quarter)

starting fall quarter 2018 to $5 per student per quarter for the next 10 years, and which will be

subject to annual CPI adjustments beginning fall quarter 2019, to support the operational costs

of the New University, which is the official student newspaper of UC Irvine?

 

The current Measure U fee of $0.99 supplements part of the operations of the New University

while advertising revenue supplements the remainder. With rising costs, in such areas as

printing, and a decrease in overall advertising revenue, that historically supplemented the

entire newspaper, the New University can no longer sustain itself without a larger student

referendum. This fee will allow the New University to stay in print for an additional 10 years.

Otherwise, it will stop its print edition in June and go strictly digital.

 

● The fee will be charged to only undergraduate students.

● The fee will be assessed during the fall, winter, and spring quarters.

● The fees collected will be managed by Student Media. An audit of the use of

these funds may be provided upon request.

 

● In accordance with campus practice, 33% of the total fee will be returned to

financial aid to help offset the cost of this fee for students who are eligible for

financial aid.

● Starting fall 2019, the fee increase portion of the total fee will be adjusted

annually based on the California Consumer Price Index (CPI) to offset the effects of

inflation. The CPI will be taken from the California Department of Finance’s calendar

year annual average of all urban consumers’ CPI.

● The New University – Student Media is responsible for providing an annual

report to the Chancellor on its programming and operations to ensure the proper and

effective use of the fees collected. In addition, this report will be presented to the

ASUCI Senate. Upon request, this report shall be available.

● This fee will sunset on its 10th year (2027‐28) unless the student body reaffirms

this fee. This fee can be reaffirmed as early as the 9th year (2026‐27); otherwise, if

there is no vote to reaffirm this fee by the end of its 10th year (2027‐28), the fee will

terminate.

● In order to pass, this referendum will require a 20% eligible undergraduate voter

turnout rate

during the ASUCI Spring Elections, of which 60% of those votes need to be yes votes.

 

 

 

__________Yes, I support a new per quarter fee of $5 per student for the next 10 years for the

Measure U Referendum.

 

_________ No, I do not support an increase to the existing Measure U fee.

 

_________Abstain