Campus Guidelines for Establishing, Increasing, Reducing or Eliminating Campus-Based Student Referenda Fees

Responsible Executive	Chancellor
Responsible Office	Student Affairs, Campus Budget Office, CFO
Contact	See Student Fee Referenda Committee website for current contact information that will be posted each August 1: http://sa.berkeley.edu/sfrc

Issued	8/22/2013
Effective	7/1/2013
Revised
Supersedes	Campus Guidelines for Establishing, Increasing, Reducing or Eliminating Campus-Based Student Referendum Fees (July 1, 2009)
Next Review	7/1/2018

Policy Statement

University of California student fees are governed by a number of Regental, Office of the President and campus policies. These implementing guidelines are intended to amplify, clarify and augment the policies pertaining to student referenda fees.

Who is Affected by This Policy

Student Groups, Student Government and Campus Departments wishing to run a student fee referendum.

Who Administers This Policy

Co-chairs of the Student Fee Referenda Committee

Campus Budget Office

CFO

Why We Have This Policy

Berkeley campus-based student referenda fees may arise from: 1) students or student organizations through the ASUC (Associated Students of the University of California) or its election practices, or 2) campus units through campus executive management approval. These guidelines govern the process to ensure that fee referenda that make it to the ballot to be voted on by students can be implemented by campus. These guidelines take into account ASUC election policies and timing.

Responsibilities

Student Fee Referenda Committee

Develop and recommend to the Chancellor for approval policies, procedures, and criteria for campus-based student fee referenda
Oversee development of fee referenda proposals, elections procedures, fee implementation/reductions/changes

Chancellors Advisory Committee on Student Services and Fees

Campus-wide strategic fee planning and dispute resolution
Accountability clarification

Campus Budget Office

Fee policy development and guidance
Confirm return-to-aid component for student fees
Advise on policy compliance
Maintain student fee policies and procedures
Interact with UC Office of the President

Campus Counsel

Legal compliance of referenda

CFO

Final sign-off on referenda fees before Chancellor and UC Office of the President sign-off

Chancellor

Approves, denies student referenda fees

Procedures

See attached pages.

BACKGROUND

Authority

University-wide fees (Student Services Fee, Educational Fee, Non-resident Tuition);
Non-referendum-based campus health insurance fees assessed to meet a non- academic condition of enrollment;
Life Safety Fee;
Fees related to instruction (such as Course Materials Fees);
Other fees requiring the President’s approval; or
Campus-based miscellaneous fees.

All student referenda results are advisory to the Chancellor and, conditional on the Chancellor's recommendation, are subject to final approval by the UC President under the authority delegated to the UC President by The Regents.¹

Increasing, Eliminating or Reducing Student Referenda Fees

Fees approved through the student fee referenda process cannot be increased without an affirming referendum unless an increase was written into the original referendum.Such fees may be eliminated or reduced by passage of a subsequent referendum as long as no debt is outstanding on the program or service funded by the fee, or may be eliminated or reduced by the Chancellor without a referendum when:

A fee a program or service supported by the fee either is not undertaken or has been reduced or eliminated, or
a lower fee has been demonstrated to be sufficient to sustain the initial purpose of assessing the fee (for instance, when the debt service on construction bonds is lower than anticipated at the time the fee was approved).

Origins of Campus-Based Student Fee Referenda

Berkeley campus-based student fee referenda may be initiated by: 1) students or student organizations through the ASUC (Associated Students of the University of California) or its election practices, or 2) a campus unit through campus executive management approval. These guidelines govern the process to ensure that referenda that make it to the ballot to be voted on by students can be implemented by campus. These guidelines take into account ASUC election policies and timing. It is particularlyimportant to adhere to the provisions concerning ballot content, clarity of language, adherence to campus and University policies, and voter information and education.

STUDENT FEE REFERENDA COMMITTEE

Purpose

The Student Fee Referenda Committee (SFRC) is a standing subcommittee of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Student Services and Fees (CACSSF) and its purpose is to develop and recommend to the Chancellor for approval policies, procedures, and criteria for campus-based student fee referenda on the Berkeley campus, which may include but not be limited to fee proposal development, elections procedures, fee implementation/reductions/changes, and reporting on use of fees throughout their duration.

Membership

SFRC voting membership includes staff representatives from the following: ASUC Auxiliary, Dean of Students Office, Graduate Division, Registrar, Campus Budget Office, VC Student Affairs, VC Administration, and VC Equity and Inclusion. The Election Manager for department-initiated fees serves as a non-voting member of the SFRC.Student voting membership includes the ASUC Elections Council Chair and two representatives each from the ASUC, Graduate Assembly (GA) and the Committee on Student Fees (CSF).In the event an SFRC committee member is in a department, administrative unit, or organization that will benefit from a proposed referendum, the committee member shall refrain from advocating on behalf of the referendum or his or her administrative unit and will recuse him/herself if there is a vote on any matters related to that particular referendum.

Co-chairs

The SFRC will have two co-chairs. Each co-chair of the SFRC will:

Serve a two-year term with one co-chair starting and ending his or her term in an even year and the other in an odd year;
Forfeit his or her vote during his or her term;
Preferably have a background in student services and knowledge of campus fee structures;
Serve his or her term in an impartial manner; and
Represent the SFRC on CACSSF.

In May of each year, the current membership of the SFRC will forward to CACSSF their recommendation for the incoming co-chair, who will serve at the pleasure of CACSSF.

Duties

The duties of the SFRC are as follows:

Provide guidance on adherence to Campus and University policies and practices as they relate to student fee referenda;
Advise all sponsors of referenda (students, the ASUC, and campus departments) on the development and implementation of fee language and election procedures;
Identify appropriate campus resources for additional consultation;
Before a student-initiated fee referendum is placed on the ASUC ballot, determine whether the referendum is in accordance with UC policy and inform the sponsor, the ASUC and other community stakeholders (as deemed appropriate by the committee) if implementation of the fee would be prohibited; and
For department-initiated referenda, serve as a resource for the Election Manager; assist in determining a timeline leading up to the election; approve the election dates; hear appeals on actions taken by the Election Manager and render final decisions; and refer concerns to CACSSF.

Quorum

A simple majority (50% plus one) of the SFRC voting membership will constitute a quorum for issues requiring a vote of the committee.

REFERENDUM PROCESS

Goals

The goals that guide the referendum process are:

To ensure compliance with Campus and University policies;
To foster the widest possible discussion and debate in an effort to create a well- informed voting population;
To achieve the broadest possible consultation among both students and the appropriate campus units during all phases of planning and implementation of student fee referenda; and
To ensure that fees approved by students are in accordance with policy and are implementable.

Concept Approval

Any campus department planning to conduct a student fee referenda first must receive concept approval. Sponsors of referenda should present an initial draft outline of their fee proposals when seeking concept approval. For department-initiated referenda, CACSSF must approve the concept no later than December 31 for an election to be held no earlier than the following October. For student-initiated referenda, concept approval is not required but it must fulfill the ASUC requirements to be included in an ASUC election (either by signed petition or the ASUC Senate approval). It is advisable for the students or student group to begin consulting with the SFRC no later than October 15 for an election to be held no earlier than the following April.

Fee Referendum Proposal

A Fee Referendum Proposal is a working document that ultimately results in the complete referendum text, the ballot language, and in the case of department-initiated fee referenda, the marketing plan and its budget. The sponsors must present their fee proposal to the SFRC (see Addendums B and D for fee proposal content information) and also may be asked to share their fee proposal with units who may be affected by the fee and/or student groups for input. Fee proposals are accepted by November 1 for student-initiated referenda and by March 1 for department-initiated referenda.

Student Involvement

Student representation is required during the planning, election, implementation and oversight of a fee. Sponsors are required to establish and convene a student advisory board or committee that includes representation from student constituency groups and meets several times a year throughout the duration of the fee. At a minimum, the committee must include representatives from the Committee on Student Fees (CSF), the ASUC, and the Graduate Assembly.

Ballot Language

Ballot language must be neutral in tone and provide basic information about the fee. This includes a description of the fee amount and conditions attached to the referendum along with any anticipated fee escalations, followed by a neutrally phrased question for approval. Ballot language must be finalized for student initiated referenda by February 15 for an election to be held no earlier than April and for department initiated referenda by May 15 for an election to be held no earlier than October.

REFERENDUM REQUIREMENTS

Return-to-Aid

All campus-based student fee referenda must include a return-to-aid component. The Berkeley campus return-to-aid standard for new, increased, or reauthorized campus- based fees is calculated as at least one-third (33.3%) of the total fee. The Chancellor has the authority to modify this percentage.

Refunds

All fees are refundable in accordance with the University and campus refund policy and the schedule of refunds for mandatory student fees².

Reporting

Throughout the duration of the fee, sponsors are required to report on the use of fees through an annual report submitted after fiscal close each year to the SFRC, who will forward it to CACSSF and make it available to CSF, the ASUC and the GA. See Addendum E for Annual Report Outline.

Accountability

If the SFRC has any concerns regarding the implementation of the fee or ongoing use, it will refer those concerns to CACSSF for appropriate action.

ELECTION PROCEDURES

Democratic and Fair Elections

The conduct of the referendum election shall conform to the principles of democracy and fairness. All participants, whether on advisory committees, in student government, in the sponsoring unit, on election campaign groups, or otherwise involved, shall abide by these principles. These principles include the right of voter access to complete and accurate information; confidentiality of each person’s vote; honest campaigning free of intimidation, threats, or pressure; equal opportunity for all to cast their ballots; and a complaint/grievance process with a swift and impartial response.

Timing of Fee Elections

Student-initiated fee elections will occur concurrent with ASUC government elections. ASUC government election dates are determined by the ASUC Senate by the 10^th week of the Fall semester. The default election dates are the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the second week following Spring Break. Student fee elections initiated by campus departments will be held during the last week of October or the first week in November.

Passing a Referendum

The population eligible to vote will be those registered students who belong to the segment of the population (e.g. undergraduate, graduate or both) that would be required to pay the fee. In order for any fee referendum to pass, a minimum of 20% of registered students (based on the campus’ official census for that semester) eligible to vote must vote on the referendum, and a simple majority of those voting (50% plus one) must approve the proposed fee. Abstentions are not included in the count of the number of students voting on the referendum.

For a student-initiated referendum, the ASUC President will notify the Chancellor of the election results and of ASUC’s recommendation on whether the referendum should be approved and submitted to Office of the President. If a department-initiated referendum is approved, the SFRC will notify the Chancellor with a copy to the co-chairs of CACSSF, the CFO and the Campus Budget Office of the election results. Regardless of whether the referendum was initiated by students or a department, the SFRC will also inform the Chancellor whether the referendum is in accordance with these guidelines and whether there are any potential impediments to its approval by Office of the President. If the Chancellor approves either a student-initiated or a department-initiated referendum, the Campus Budget Office will prepare the required documents to seek final approval from the UC President to assess the fee.

All requests for new, increased, or reauthorized campus-based referenda fees must be received by the President’s office no later than June 1 for fees to begin during the following academic year. New fees cannot begin in the summer, but may begin in either Fall or Spring semesters.

Election Manager

For a department-initiated referendum, an Election Manager from Student Affairs will be appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs once CACSSF approves the referendum concept. The Election Manager conducts, monitors, and verifies the election and reports the results to the SFRC and the Campus Budget Office.

The responsibilities and authority of the Election Manager are outlined in Addendum F.

Election Costs

The costs of student-initiated fee referenda must conform to the policies and procedures of the ASUC.

For a department-initiated referendum, the costs of running and publicizing the election will be borne by the department or organization sponsoring the fee initiative. This includes but is not limited to: elections logistics costs (such as equipment rental and computer programming and content specific to the election), election public information, and election management staff costs including the campus Election Manager’s time.

Campaigning and Publicity

Student-initiated fee referenda must follow the ASUC Guidelines for campaigning and publicity.

For department-initiated referenda, the SFRC, in conjunction with the Election Manager, will determine time, place, and manner protocol for the publicity of campaigns in favor of and against the proposed fee initiative to ensure that there is opportunity for all sides to comment and that full and complete information on the referendum is provided to students. All campaign and publicity materials will be shared with the Election Manager in advance to ensure that they are factually accurate.

The department sponsoring the referendum may organize and implement a campaign to educate students about the referendum. Although there is no limit to the amount of money a department may spend on its campaign, it is required to make an equivalent amount available to the Election Manager to provide to students who express an interest in organizing an opposition campaign. This funding must be provided to the Election Manager by September 1 and the amount is based upon the budget estimate provided in the fee proposal. Any funding not used by an opposition campaign will be returned to the department after the election.

Role of the Committee on Student Fees

The Committee on Student Fees (CSF) is expected to educate and inform the student voting population and as such it must provide to students a non-partisan voter’s guide containing arguments for and against the referendum. CSF will review and comment publicly upon the accuracy of fee campaign materials prepared by students independently of the sponsoring department or student group (whether in support or opposition of the proposed fee).

Online Fee Elections

Student-initiated fee referenda elections must conform to ASUC election policies regarding time and place. Department-initiated fee referenda elections will be conducted online, overseen by the Election Manager and administered by Information Services and Technology.

Post Elections Review

Following an election, the SFRC will invite the sponsors of a fee referendum to a meeting to evaluate the process, reviewing what went well and what could be improved in future elections.

Complaint Resolution

Complaints concerning the election process involving department-initiated fee referenda should be directed in writing to the Election Manager. Complaints must be submitted within one calendar week of the last day of the election and will be responded to within one week of their receipt. Complaints will not be considered if they are submitted later than the post-election one week period.

Any action taken by the Election Manager may be appealed to the SFRC for final resolution.

Addendum A Student-Initiated Fee Referendum Timeline

Addendum B Student-Initiated Fee Referendum Proposal Outline

Addendum C Department-Initiated Fee Referendum Timeline

Addendum D Department-Initiated Fee Proposal Outline

Addendum E Annual Report Outline

Addendum F Election Manager Authority and Responsibilities

Addendum G Election Verification Form

ADDENDUM A

UC Berkeley Guidelines for Campus Based Student Fee Referenda: Student-Initiated Fee Referendum Timeline

All deadlines below are strongly recommended. This timeline does NOT reflect all the steps in the referendum process. Please refer to the Campus Guidelines and the ASUC Election Bylaws³ for more detail.

FALL SEMESTER
ACTION	TIMELINE
Sponsors establish plan for student representation	Once decision is made to pursue referendum
Sponsors draft Fee Referendum Proposal outline	By September 30
Sponsors receive concept approval from ASUC	No later than October 15
Sponsors begin communication with SFRC	By October 15
Sponsors submit initial draft of Fee Referendum Proposal to SFRC	By November 1
Sponsors submit final draft of Fee Referendum Proposal to SFRC based on initial feedback	By December 1
Budget Office forwards final draft of Fee Referendum Proposal to campus legal counsel and OP for feedback	Upon receipt of final draft of Fee Referendum Proposal
SPRING SEMESTER
ACTION	TIMELINE
SFRC vets feedback from campus legal counsel and OP	By February 1
Sponsors finalize Fee Referendum Proposal with guidance from SFRC	By February 15
Sponsors begin hard marketing campaign	After February 15
ASUC Senate votes whether or not to put referendum on ballot	Before end of candidate filing period
ASUC Election	Early April
CFO final-sign off	Late April
Chancellor/President approval	May-June

ADDENDUM B

UC Berkeley Guidelines for Campus-Based Student Fee Referenda: Student-Initiated Fee Referendum Proposal Outline

A student-initiated Fee Referendum Proposal is a working document that ultimately results in the complete referendum text and ballot language.

As the campus committee whose purpose is to develop and recommend to the Chancellor for approval policies, procedures, and criteria for campus-based student fee referenda, the SFRC is the body that will advise you (the sponsor) on the development and implementation of fee language and election procedures. The SFRC will also make a determination whether or not proposed fee referenda are in accordance with UC policy and will inform you, the ASUC, and other community statekholders if implementation of the fee would be unviable. Student initiated referenda must fulfill the ASUC requirements to be included in an ASUC election. It is advisable for students or the student group to consult with the SFRC and/or ASUC Senate no later than October 15 for an election to be held no earlier than the following April. Unlike department-initiated referenda, student-initiated referenda do not require concept approval from the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Student Services and Fees (CACSSF) in order to advance to development and election.

Students should submit an initial draft of their Fee Referendum Proposal to the SFRC by November 1 for an election to be held no earlier than the following April. Proposals initially submitted after November 1 will most likely not be endorsed by the SFRC.

New fees cannot begin in the summer term, but may begin in either Fall or Spring semesters.

Because a Fee Referendum Proposal is a working document, the SFRC will work with you to develop the areas of your proposal throughout the consulting process. You may also be asked by the SFRC to share your proposal with units who may be impacted by the fee and/or student groups for input.

A student-initiated Fee Referendum Proposal follows the outline presented below. In all sections of the fee proposal it is important for the language to be clear and precise so students have unambiguous information upon which to vote.

I. Referendum Title

The title of the referendum should be neutral, that is it should simply state either the name of the benefitting unit or the service to be provided. It should not contain value- laden phrases such as “Save Our …” or “Avert Disaster…” or “Stick it to…”.

II. Ballot Language

This section is the language that will appear on the elections website voting screen. The student will register his or her vote on this web page. Therefore, the ballot language should be completely viewable on one screen, without the need to scroll down. This section should contain:

A brief (2-3 sentences) description of the purpose of the referendum and the identity of the sponsoring unit and any campus unit(s) that would be involved in delivering to students the benefits or services arising from the fee.
A brief description (2-3 sentences) of why the fee is needed and why it is needed at this time. Include the proposed uses of the fee revenue.
A statement identifying which students will be expected to pay this fee (undergraduates, graduates, both) and whether the fee will apply to summer students.
Specifics on the fee duration and fee levels.
- Be specific about when the fee would first be collected (for instance, Fall 2013 semester) and when it will end (for instance, Spring 2024 semester).
- Fee amounts per semester and per summer session, if applicable, should be round to whole numbers.
- If the amount is expected to increase during the existence of the fee, specify the amounts on a year-by-year schedule and explain how they have been calculated. The easiest way to display this information is to use a table similar to the following:

	% of fee	Yr 1 Per Sem amt	Yr 2 Per Sem amt	Yr 3 Per Sem amt	Yr 4 Per Sem amt	Yr 5 Per Sem amt	Yr 6 Per Sem amt	Yr 7 Per Sem amt	Yr 8 Per Sem amt	Yr 9 Per Sem amt	Yr 10 Per Sem amt
Campus unit	66.67%	6.00	6.00	7.00	7.00	8.00	8.00	9.00	9.00	10.00	10.00
Financial aid	33.33%	3.00	3.05	3.50	3.50	4.00	4.00	4.50	4.50	5.00	5.00
Total fee	100.00%	9.00	9.00	10.50	10.50	12.00	12.00	13.50	13.50	15.00	15.00

- If the increases are tied to an inflation index and the future amounts are not known at the time of the election, define the index and whether the index poses a maximum increase level (in which case, identify who will be deciding on the amount of the increase) or whether the fee will be automatically increased in line with changes in the index.
- Unless stated otherwise in the original authorizing referendum, the amount of all fees that are tied to indices must be communicated to the Campus Budget Office, Financial Aid Office, Graduate Division, Office of the Registrar and Summer Session by January 15 to be effective the following summer or Fall term.
- Indicate what percentage and amount of the fee will be used for financial aid and estimate what portions of the fee will go to campus units and/or third- party service providers.
- Indicate whether or not the fee will apply to summer students and the rationale for charging the fee to those students. Sponsors should seek input from the Dean of Summer Sessions to determine whether proposed summer fee levels are appropriate.
- If the fee will apply to summer students in an amount different than the semester amount, specify the amount of the summer fee.
- Identify what student advisory group will be overseeing the use of the fee.

This information should be followed by the following statement: “Do you approve this mandatory fee to support ?” Yes No

III. Complete Text of the Referendum

This section is an expansion of the ballot language in order to provide additional information to the student voter.

Introductory Statement

Provide in one paragraph a description of the proposed uses of the fee and identifying the sponsoring unit and any campus unit(s) that would be involved in delivering to students the benefits or services arising from the fee.

Background

Provide an explanation of why the fee is needed, why it is needed at this time, what alternatives to a fee have been explored, and why these alternatives are not feasible or are less satisfactory than a fee.

Explain in value-neutral language what the consequences will be if the fee is not approved. Save the emotion-laden language for the marketing and informational campaign.

What role have students played in the demand for the services or benefits, in the review of funding alternatives, and in development of the parameters or proposed uses of the fee?

If similar fees are in effect on other UC campuses, provide information on those fee amounts and uses.

Purpose of the Fee

Elaborate on what new or expanded services or benefits to students will be provided by the fee if it is approved.

Breakdown of the Fee

Follow the directions given above under the ballot language section concerning the duration of the fee, the amount of the fee, what groups of students will be subject to the fee, whether the fee applies to summer students, whether the fee will increase over time and by how much, what is the percentage and amount of the return to financial aid and what portions of the fee will go to campus units and/or third-party service providers.

Oversight of the Fee

Identify the composition of the student advisory committee for the fee, and what role it will play in decision-making on the uses of the fee, how frequently it will meet, whether the committee will include non-student members, and any other information about the manner in which oversight will be provided.

IV. Estimated Campaign/Marketing Sample Budget

A campus department initiating a student fee referendum should submit an advance estimate of its anticipated spending on supplies and promotion for the campaign to educate students about the fee referendum. Although there is no limit to the amount of money a department may spend on its campaign, the department is required to make an equivalent amount available to the Election Manager for students who demonstrate an interest in organizing an opposition campaign.

This estimated budget is due to the Election Manager by September 1 of the semester in which the fee election is scheduled to take place.

Please follow the template below when submitting your estimated budget to the Election Manager.

Fee Referendum Campaign Budget Estimate (Example):

Election Publicity (Sample Line Items)	# Items	Cost/Item	Total Cost	Notes/Description
Daily Cal Ad #1	1	$720.00	$720
Daily Cal Ad #2	1	$440.00	$440
Daily Cal Ad #3	1	$440.00	$440
Voter Education Pamphlet	500	$1.50	$750
Facebook Advertisements	10	$40.00	$400
Banners	2	$50.00	$100
Giveaways (pens, buttons)	500	$1.00	$500
University Bulletin Board Service	1	$75.00	$75
Flyers	1000	$0.10	$100
Supplies (Sample Line Items)	# Items	Cost/Item	Total Cost	Notes/Description
Paper	250	$125.00	$125
Printing/Copying	23	$11.58	$12
Tables	67	$33.50	$34
Tabling Supplies	29	$14.61	$15
TOTAL		$1,952.29	$3,709.69

ADDENDUM E

UC Berkeley Guidelines for Campus-Based Student Fee Referenda: Annual Report Outline

Throughout the duration of a student referendum fee, campus units receiving fee revenue are required to report annually on the use of fees through a report submitted after fiscal close each year to the SFRC. Information from this report will be included in the annual report that SFRC submits to CACSSF. The Annual Report provides accurate and detailed information on the following:

Name and Title of person completing the report and the role they play in regards to the oversight of the fee.
List the total revenues collected during the year and how they were expended.
If there are any remaining balances, explain what the plans are for expending the balances.
If the activities funded by the fee have changed from those defined in the referendum, explain why.
Identify the advisory committee members and the constituencies they represent.
Indicate how frequently the advisory group met during the year and what key issues were discussed.
Explain whether the intended goals of the fee have been accomplished. If they have not been accomplished, explain why.

Please submit your completed report electronically to the co-chairs of the SFRC who will make it available to CACSSF, CSF, the ASUC and the GA.

ADDENDUM F

UC Berkeley Guidelines for Campus-Based Student Fee Referenda: Election Manager Authority and Responsibilities (applicable to Department-Initiated Fee Referenda only)

The Election Manager is responsible for, and has the authority to:

Publicize and advertise the fee election to build student awareness of the proposed fee. Suggested venues for publicity and advertising include the Daily Californian, Facebook or similar online social networking sites, campus bulletin boards, residence hall dining areas and bulletin boards, campus computer labs, student-wide CalMail distributions, campus banners or posters, and tabling on Sproul.
Distribute nonpartisan information about the proposed fee referendum, including the voter’s guide prepared by the Committee on Student Fees.
Create an official election Web site with complete fee referendum and voting information and, if possible, track the number of visits to the Web site.
Work with the appropriate Information Services and Technology (IST) staff to develop a secure, confidential, online voting system.
Recruit, hire, train and supervise student staff as needed.
Develop and manage the election management budget, purchase supplies as needed to perform Election Manager duties, and bill the sponsoring department for all costs incurred (including professional staff time for the Election Manager and other professional or student staff who work in connection with the fee election). The Election Manager will track all hours worked and provide an invoice to the sponsoring department for all such costs following the election.
Send an informational email to all registered students shortly before the start of the election, reminding them to vote.
Verify the election results, including the number of votes cast and the number in favor of and opposed to the fee referendum (see Addendum G for proper form of Fee Referendum Verification).
Release election results to the public upon verification.
Review departmental campaign or publicity materials related to the proposed fee for factual accuracy, and require changes to such materials as needed before they are released publicly. The Committee on Student Fees will review and comment publicly upon the accuracy of fee campaign materials prepared by students independently of the sponsoring department (whether in support or opposition of the proposed fee).
Monitor compliance by the sponsoring department with pertinent campus regulations, including fee referendum policy, and require the department to take whatever corrective steps are necessary to remedy any noncompliance.
Respond to and resolve voter or departmental complaints related to the fee election. Any party unsatisfied with the resolution of a dispute or concern by the Election Manager may appeal the decision by contacting the co-chairs of the SFRC in writing within five (5) calendar days of the decision.
Provide ongoing consultation to students and/or sponsoring departments with questions related to the fee referendum.
Prepare a report after the completion of the election, summarizing the voting results and any salient issues and events leading up to and during the election (such as an overview of publicity efforts and a description of any organized opposition to the fee referendum), and offer recommendations, if any, for future fee elections.

ADDENDUM G

UC Berkeley Guidelines for Campus-Based Student Fee Referenda: STUDENT FEE REFERENDUM ELECTION VERIFICATION FORM (applicable to Department-Initiated Fee Referenda only)

Date: ______________

Referendum Name: ______________

Dates of Election: ______________

Upon completion of all of the checked items and of all of the required signatures below, this form constitutes official verification of the results of a student fee referendum. If an item is not checked or a signature is lacking, the results are not verified, and the reasons will be provided on a separate sheet.

Upon completion of this form, the Election Manager shall provide a copy with the official referendum attached to the Student Fee Referenda Committee for them to submit to the Chancellor for approval. For information purposes, the Election Manager shall also provide copies to the Chair(s) of the Committee on Student Fees, student representatives, and the Campus Budget Office as required in the Berkeley Campus Guidelines for Campus-Based Student Referenda Fees.

Note: There is a one-week period after the completion of the election during which the validity of the election is still subject to complaints formally submitted to the Election Manager. At the end of that one-week period, the Election Manager shall notify the Student Fee Referenda Committee, the Chair(s) of the Committee on Student Fees, and student representatives of the completion of complaint resolutions. One week period ends/ended on: .

CHECKLIST

Final results of election provided by Information Services and Technology (IST), showing the number of yes and no votes, and the total vote count. Official computer printout attached.

Confirmation provided by IST that the online election system functioned successfully during the election period and that there were no breaks in service or other problems that substantially affected system operation. Log or notes about operation may be attached.

Verification by the Election Manager that the voting results produced either an approved or a not approved referendum. Fill in the spaces:

Minimum Required Voter Turnout (20% of spring student registration as confirmed by the Office of the Registrar)

Total Spring 20 student registration: ________________

Referendum Actual Voter Turnout (Yes or No votes; abstentions not included): Yes Votes ____ No Votes ____ Abstentions ____

Required Majority for approval (50% + 1 of Actual Voter Turnout) ____________ Result: Approved ____ Not Approved ____

______ Confirmation by the Election Manager that complaints received to date do not materially change the results reported above. Log or notes may be attached.