The Student Association Senate passed a resolution Sunday stating that a professional company should assess the space in the Holmes Student Center before committing student fees to renovate the building.

Sen. John Martin said students recognize the need for more space, but an efficiency study is needed before the senate will approve a yearly fee of more than $25.20 per student to help fund the proposed renovations.

SA President Paula Radtke, who also is co-chairman for the Student Services and Activities Space Study Committee, said she has been requesting a professional space study of the student center since October.

Sen. Joe Annunzio said he attended Friday’s space study committee meeting and Roland Schreiber, assistant architect for the NIU Physical Plant, said a space assessment would cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

The space study committee proposed renovations to the student center Friday at an estimated cost of $6,250,000. Jon Dalton, co-chairman of the committee and vice president for student affairs, said about $6,200,000 is available in a construction fund to begin renovation.

However, Radtke said that once money is withdrawn from the construction fund, additional funds must be generated to pay lost interest. She said the proposed student fee increase would cover the lost interest.

Student fees will continue to increase beyond the initial $25.20 fee if an addition is built, Radtke said. Not all students can afford to pay high fee increases each year, she said.

Near the end of the six-hour senate meeting, Radtke thanked the senate for passing the resolution, saying the resolution will prove to Dalton that Radtke is not the only student concerned with the renovation costs.

Martin said the resolution also states that Radtke and Dalton should choose the assessment company to provide student input on the decision.

Another clause in the resolution states if an addition is approved, the SA wants to have student representation on how the addition is operated and what organizations are allocated space, Martin said.

Radtke said representation is a “key issue” because NIU administrators will tell students that they will have representation with the new addition and, when the addition is built, the administrators will not allow student representation.

NIU already includes a student center where students have no input on the operation of the building, Radtke said.