Student Technology Fee Plan for Louisiana State University

(Revision 1.4, February 2022)

Statement of Purpose:

The Student Technology Fee at Louisiana State University is dedicated to the acquisition, installation, maintenance, and intelligent use of state-of-the-art technology solely for the purpose of supporting and enhancing student life and learning and of preparing graduates for the workplaces of the twenty-first century.

Definition:

The term “technology” or “technologies” in this document denotes computer hardware and software (and the networking and supporting computer and telecommunications infrastructure), laboratory instruments, and discipline-specific equipment, including, but not limited to, such items as scales, treadmills, microscopes, musical instruments, and kilns.

Strategic Goals of the Student Technology Fee Program:

Strategic Goal 1:

To provide students with access to, and training in, information technology and discipline-specific equipment that represents the current state of the art.

Objective 1.1.

To provide public access computers with up-to-date software as well as network and Internet connections sufficient to meet the students’ needs as determined by the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee.

Objective 1.2.

To provide the LSU student body with increased access to state-of-the-art software.

Objective 1.3.

To increase access to the campus network and internet resources via wireless internet and innovative access options.

Objective 1.4.

To provide state-of-the-art general use multimedia classrooms on campus (the term “multimedia classrooms” does not necessarily denote on-line network connections at every classroom seat, but instead denotes the most appropriate instructional technologies for particular classrooms).

Objective 1.5.

To ensure that instructional laboratories and studios are equipped with the most current equipment appropriate to teaching and learning in the various disciplines of the University.

Objective 1.6.

To provide appropriate state-of-the-art technology to student services that directly support student life and learning (e.g., career planning and placement, learning assistance, the Writing Center, etc.).

Strategic Goal 2:

To enable students and teachers to make the best possible use of current technologies in support of learning and teaching.

Objective 2.1.

To provide non-credit instructional programs for students to allow them to make the fullest possible use of the information technology resources of the University.

Objective 2.2.

To enhance student learning by providing support programs in order to optimize the use of multimedia and other instructional technologies.

Objective 2.3.

To limit expenditures for the programs stipulated in objectives 2.1 and 2.2 to no more than 15% of the funds generated by the Student Technology Fee and to forbid any personnel expenditures from Student Technology Fee revenues except compensation for student employees.

Procedures and Policies:

Authorization:

The Student Technology Fee funds will be supplemental to currently allocated funds for technology. This fee will enhance, not replace. Under the provisions of the enabling legislation (House Bill 2339;R.S.17:3351.1), assessment of the Student Technology Fee may be terminated by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Student Government Senate and a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors. Consistent with the Constitution of the Student Government of LSU, rescission would also require a majority vote of students voting in a referendum.

Fee Assessment:

The Student Technology Fee shall be five dollars ($5) per credit hour for up to 15 semester credit hours per semester, and no fee shall be charged to an individual student during a given semester for semester credit hours in excess of 15.

Administration:

The Student Technology Fee Program shall be overseen by the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee, a ten-member group chaired by the Provost or his/her designee and including the Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, the Chief Information Officer, and the President of the Faculty Senate, and six students, including the Student Body President, the Speaker of the Student Government Senate, the President of the Student Government Graduate School College Council, and three other students to be nominated by the Student Body President with Senate ratification and appointed by the Provost (the members may designate others to represent them on an ad hoc or regular basis).  The Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment will serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member.  Business will not be considered at any Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee meeting without a quorum comprising at least six members of the committee; the quorum must include at least four of the student members of the committee and two of the non-student members. Except as stipulated herein, the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee shall conduct its business according to Roberts Rules of Order and written bylaws to be established by a majority vote of the committee.

Proposals:

Each proposal for use of the Student Technology Fee must specify which of the goals and objectives of the Student Technology Fee Plan would be advanced were the proposal to be implemented. Each proposal must also specify the primary and secondary beneficiaries among the student population. Proposals may include Student Technology Fee funds as leverage for gaining additional funds (e.g., as matching funds in grant applications) provided that sums substantially in excess of those requested from the Student Technology Fee revenues would be invested in conformity with the goals, objectives, policies, and procedures of the Student Technology Fee Plan. The Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee shall appoint Technical Review Committees as appropriate to assist in the evaluation of proposals. The Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee shall have exclusive responsibility for recommending to the the approval or disapproval of specific proposals.

Expenditures:

No expenditures shall be made from the Student Technology Fee Fund except as authorized in the annual Student Technology Fee Program budget recommended by a majority of the members of the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee. By a vote of at least three-fourths of the members of the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee, followed by the approval of the President and the LSU Board of Supervisors, up to 40% of the revenue stream generated by the Student Technology Fee may be used to secure credit arrangements.

Auditing and Evaluation:

All funds generated by the Student Technology Fee shall be placed in a University account, strictly restricting expenditures to those in full compliance with the Student Technology Fee Plan. The University will provide fiscal and compliance audits of the Student Technology Fee Program and will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The results of these evaluations will be reported to the Student Government and other University governance bodies. The Student Technology Fee monies shall not be used to assess the effectiveness of the Student Technology Fee Program.

Amendment of the Student Technology Fee Plan:

The Student Technology Fee Plan may be amended only upon a vote of at least two-thirds of the members of the Student Technology Fee Oversight Committee and of a majority of the members of the Student Government Senate.