The Student Senate discussed online course fees and graduation costs in their meeting Wednesday night.

Executive vice president Maralea Negron talked about the discussion during the Board of Trustees meeting the Friday before break.

One of the topics discussed in the student affairs committee, which Negron is a part of, was a fee increase in online courses.

“The reason they are proposing this increase is because there has been a substantial amount of students who are taking these online courses while also taking courses on campus,” Negron said. She said the fee increase was proposed to “level out the playing field” between those taking both online and on-campus classes and those just taking online classes.

It was not voted on because most of the committee did not support the idea.

Blair Lord, vice president of academic affairs, and Lynette Drake, interim vice president of student affairs, suggested the fee increase for online classes.

Negron said most students who are taking courses online are taking courses on campus as well. She said students are using the library and the tutoring center and other resources the university has to offer, but they are not paying the same fees as students who are taking courses solely on campus.

Negron brought up the graduation fee increase from $25 to $40. This will become active in fall of the 2017 academic school year. The increase is because it costs more to put on the graduation ceremony and this increase will help cover the cost.

Student Body President Catie Witt and the “It’s On Us Campaign” committee will meet Dec. 7. She said the committee has brainstormed many ideas.

“We want to get everything finalized. We cannot reserve rooms, dates and times until right when we get back,” Witt said.

Witt said the committee has come up with a dodgeball tournament, bowling, getting public speaker Jackie Mortillaro to come to campus with the possibility of a discussion panel afterwards, and having someone from the Health Education Resource Center give a seminar called “Sex is Like Pizza,” where students learn about consent.

Luke Young, student vice president of academic affairs, said he emailed Barbara Warmoth, of the Charleston Community Early Learning Center, about a school supply drive. So far they are aiming for April to do the drive.

The learning center said they are willing to take any non-used school supplies and the logistics of it will be figured out next semester.

Samuel Nusbaum can be reached at 581-2812 or at scnusbaum@eiu.edu.