By Scott Harvey
Commerce – Students at Texas A&M University-Commerce have rejected a proposed athletic fee that would have aided in scholarship dollars, recruiting, and marketing, among other things.
Needing a simple majority to pass, the referendum fell 88 votes short, with 946 opposed and 859 in favor, for a total of 1805 votes cast.
In an email sent Tuesday, President Dan Jones says he understands the difficulty in asking students to pay an extra fee at a time of overall economic uncertainty. Jones went on to say the University wants a very high-quality, competitive athletic program that attracts the best student-athletes and represents the university in a positive way.
If passed, students, beginning next fall, would have been required pay $10 per semester credit hour up to 12 credit hours total.
Dr. Jones says he will be meeting with university and student leaders in the near future to consider the possibility of another referendum based on a reduced fee amount. The referendum could come as early as next semester.