Chancellor Approves ClassPass Fee Cut

Following a request by the ASUC and the Graduate Assembly, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau last week approved a $1.50 reduction in the student Class Pass fee starting next semester because the service paid for by that portion of the fee is not currently available.

The fee is meant to pay for the TransLink service, which would allow students to use their Cal 1 student ID cards to track and deduct rider fees on Bay Area transportation services including AC Transit, BART and Muni from a debit account designated for transportation costs.

Graduate Assembly President Joshua Daniels said this is the first time UC Berkeley student fees have been lowered as a result of student lobbying efforts.

“We set a precedent such that students shouldn’t pay for services they don’t receive,” he said.

Daniels said the letter was the result of six months of work with members of the campus administration.

“I’m very pleased that we were able to work out a reduction on the Class Pass fee,” said Vice Chancellor of Administration Nathan Brostrom in a statement. “We certainly agree that since the TransLink service is not available yet, it is appropriate to remove that portion of the Class Pass fee until the service does become available.”

Parking and Transportation Director Noel Pinto said the TransLink fee has been collected for the last three semesters, amounting to just under $100,000. The funds are being held by the campus.

Pinto also said this service is being delayed because of technological difficulties and is not likely to be provided for at least another year and a half.

ASUC President Van Nguyen said the fee reduction sets an example for future action.

“At a time when student fees are increasing tremendously, it is important to work to reduce fees for the benefit of all students,” he said.

Daniels said another service that is part of the Class Pass fee and is not being provided is the “next bus service,” which would allow students to check online and on their cell phones when the next bus will arrive.

He said the cost of this service is not explicitly broken down in the Class Pass fees, so it is difficult to know the exact fee reduction to request.

Students had mixed opinions on the fee reduction.

“We have other financial issues that are bigger,” said freshman Mohammed Sheikh, a physics major. “It’s making a big deal about little things. Reductions in other areas could be more meaningful.”

But many students also said they should not be paying for something they are not receiving.

“I don’t want to pay for something I’m not getting­—$1.50 for me may be a hot dog, but that’s a lot of money for the school to have,” said senior Luke Short, a conservation and resource studies major.

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