The Illinois Student Association will hold a referendum at Sangamon State University in Springfield next week to propose the addition of an annual mandatory, refundable $1 fee to their student fees.

A similar referendum was held at NIU last spring to help strengthen the ISA.

The results were six to one in favor of the fee.

However, it was not passed by the Board of Regents at their meeting in May.

Jimmy Feger, SSU Student Association vice president, attended Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting at NIU and proposed to the Joint University Advisory Committee that “when the students vote for something, it should mean something to the board.

“When the referendum was passed at NIU, it was presented to the board, but it was declined approval because there wasn’t enough information available on the auditing of the funding and how the money would be refunded.”

Advisory committee member Alan Voelker said that, to his understanding, the board wanted additional information on the plan before authorizing it.

According to committee members, the ISA needed to present written documentation.

NIU Student Regent Nick Valadez said the requested information will be presented to the Regents at their October meeting.

“We have been busy lobbying to get all the votes we can for the referendum.”

Feger said, “I believe if the students vote for fee increases for themselves then the board should approve them.

If SSU approves the referendum, there will be two universities that want to have the mandatory fee.”

Feger also said that, to his knowledge, ISA President David Starrett has been working very hard to gather the information the board has requested, such as the purpose of the fee and where the funding would go.