A proposed increase in room and board rates for the 2004-05 academic year is less compared to past annual increases. The increased rate has gained backing from IRHA members and residence hall students.

Kyle Perkins, president of the Towers Residence Association, wrote a bill that would approve the 3.75 percent room and board rate increase for the Department of Residence.

Perkins, sophomore in pre-business, said he agreed with the rate increase, because it would be less compared to previous years and would stay in line with the rate of inflation.

In the past five years, rate increases for room and board have each been 5 percent or higher, he said.

Randy Gebhardt, president of Richardson Court Association, said he thinks the proposed rate is acceptable because the increase is not as high as it would have been in the past.

“I’m sure everyone feels the same — it could be a lot worse,” said Gebhardt, junior in electrical engineering.

He said he has not heard any negative comments from IRHA members about the proposed increase because the rate has been higher in the past.

Cassie Bliek, freshman in English and resident of Larch Hall, said she supports the increase, as past ones have been more substantial.

“Any savings that we can get are worth it — college is expensive enough as it is,” she said.

Kevin Johnson, sophomore in management and resident of Lyon Hall, said he approves of the lowered increases.

“I don’t mind paying more if I see results such as the Union Drive Community Center,” Johnson said.

Perkins said the Towers Residence Association also held a senate meeting this week and asked members to speak if they were against an additional $14 fee.

The fee would be included in the increased rates, which would be added to residence hall students’ contracts to double the bandwidth of the current Internet access.

“No one said anything so I went along with [the approval of the fee],” he said.

If IRHA passes the added fee, it would increase the proposed room and board rates from 3.75 percent to 3.8.

Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence, will be at the meeting to listen to student’s concerns about the rate increases and to answer questions.

Alexander said he is interested in the IRHA discussion about the additional fee to increase residents’ bandwidth for the Internet connection, because the Department of Residence will only adopt the new fee if IRHA approves it.

IRHA members will vote on whether to support the rate increase at their meeting Thursday night.