Lee Fehrenbacher//January 18, 2013//
An upgrade of the University of Oregon’s Erb Memorial Union is back on the docket.
The State Board of Higher Education last week voted to approve the university’s request to add $84.3 million in bonding authority to Gov. John KItzhaber’s proposed capital projects list for renovation and expansion of UO’s student union. That list will be sent to the state Legislature next month for further vetting and approval.
The board’s decision follows a vote by university students in November that authorized an additional $69 fee per student, per term, to help pay for a proposed $100 million renovation and expansion of the student union building. That would leave another $8 million still needed for the project.
Outside of the Legislature, one potential hurdle could come from a grievance filed by a student against the Associated Students of the University of Oregon’s president, Laura Hinman.
The grievance claims the student-fee referendum was composed in a biased and unconstitutional manner. If the grievance were successful, the referendum might need to be retracted and put before students for another vote.
The student government’s constitutional court reconvened this week, and Julie Brown, senior director of communications for UO, said it will rule on the complaint in the coming weeks.