Changing Social Dues and Maintenance Fees

These procedures have been established in order to protect both your hall government and the Undergraduate Housing Office. All increases should be embarked upon cautiously, as you will probably find fewer people willing to pay social dues as the dues get higher. It is important to know that social dues are optional and maintenance fees are not optional. If residents do not want to pay the social dues, please refer them to contact the Undergraduate Housing Office. Note that a minimum of $9 maintenance fee is required of all governments.

Step 1: The request

File your intent to change dues to the Assistant Director for Community and Leadership Development in University Residential Life (URL) by letter, stating the pertinent information as follows:

  • Name of hall
  • Amount of the present social dues and maintenance fee
  • Amount of desired increases/decreases
  • Any constitutional provisions appropriate to the process

This request should be signed by president and treasurer.

Step 2: Voting

Voting may be paper ballot or electronic (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Google docs). Ballots may only be completed by current residents. Provide a ballot asking a straight-forward "yes" or "no" question such as:

Do you want to increase the {social dues} for {Building Name} by {$9.00} so that the total {social dues} starting in the Fall Quarter of {20XX} would be {$40.00}?

Yes __________ No __________

All items in brackets { } would be specific to your building (and whether you are proposing a change in social dues or maintenance fees). This should include a statement letting students know how to opt out of paying social dues. Example: "Residents are required to pay the maintenance fees; however, the social dues are an optional charge. If you wish to opt out of paying social dues, contact the Undergraduate Housing office at 847-491-7564."

Step 3: After the voting

In order for a change to be passed, a simple majority vote is necessary. This majority is not based on the number of those that voted but the total number of those currently living in the hall.

If the increase is approved, return the ballots to the Assistant Director for Community and Leadership Development in Scott Hall for review.

If the change in social dues and/or maintenance fees is approved by these procedures, signs must be posted in as many public places as possible offering all students the opportunity to be exempt from paying their social dues. Please include instructions for those seeking exemption to go to the Undergraduate Housing Office. These students should be given one week from the time signs are posted to sign these releases (this deadline should be on the poster). In addition, the poster should now show the new total of maintenance fees and social dues.

Note: Because of the contractual housing agreement, which all residents have signed, the fees cannot be changed for the current academic year.

Deadlines

For changes (which are to be effective the following fall quarter) the process must be completed with all appropriate statements received by the Assistant Director for Community and Leadership Development by April 25th.