Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC)

The Student Fee Advisory Committee is a shared governance body comprised of students, faculty and administrators that considers proposals for the establishment and/or adjustment of Category II (campus mandatory fees) and Category III (miscellaneous course fees) and makes recommendations to the president. Modeling our deep commitment to the principles of shared governance, the SFAC at SF State also considers proposals for Category IV fees. For your reference fee categories are fully defined in section II of California State University Executive Order 1102, the CSU Student Fee Policy, which governs the actions of the Student Fee Advisory Committee. The committee is not involved in the direct assessment of fees nor the student refund process.

The committee is Co-chaired by the Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management and the President of Associated Students. The majority of voting members of the SFAC are students. Please see the current full committee roster.

SF State's SFAC has developed procedures to implement the CSU student fee policy. Click on the link below to download these procedures in a PDF document.

SF State Procedures to Implement CSU Executive Order 1102

Statement of Philosophy

A fundamental responsibility of the state government is to provide access and financial support to public higher education. The amount of funding the California State University is allocated directly affects how many students will be able to access the CSU system. To ensure the maximum level of access to public higher education, it is imperative that the state continually renews and reinforces CSU funding through legislation.

Whenever students enroll into the CSU system and throughout their educational career, tuition fees, local campus fees and miscellaneous fees are assessed. Fee revenue facilitates our ability to offer programs and services that elevate the student experience and help our university further its mission.

In fulfilling its role to provide advisement concerning student fees, the Student Fee Advisory Committee is committed to engaging in respectful discussions and seeking consultation to remain:

mindful of the cumulative affects student fees have on the student experience;
considerate of how student fees affect student financial aid options and;
ensuring student fees do not represent a barrier to accessing education.

Units, academic departments and other departments requesting SFAC endorsement for a new fee or for allocation of student fees are expected to honor the shared governance process guiding these decisions. As such, no submission or application shall be regarded as an entitlement, and units/departments making such requests should expect that applications or submittals may potentially be denied, returned for further clarification and revision, or otherwise delayed. Therefore, units and departments should not rely on potential fee revenue until they have received formal notification of final approval by the President’s Office.

SFAC Meetings

The committee meets a minimum of four times per academic year, and as often as necessary to address matters pertinent to the committee in a timely manner. Meetings are open to the public. SF State students and members of the campus community may attend meetings and address items on the meeting agenda in accordance with the SFAC Public Comment Guidelines and Virtual Meeting Guidelines.

Please contact the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at: vpsaem@sfsu.edu for reasonable accommodations and for general questions about the committee.

Meeting Dates for Academic Year 2022-2023

September 16, 2022 3:00PM - 5:00PM
November 18, 2022 3:00PM - 5:00PM
February 10, 2023 3:00PM - 5:00PM
April 14, 2023 3:00PM - 5:00PM

Fee Action Requests - Deadlines and Submission Instructions

Deadlines

Units/departments submitting fee action requests are asked to submit them as early as possible to maximize the amount of time SFAC members can devote to adequate consultation and thorough consideration of each request. However, to ensure there is adequate opportunity to notify affected students in a timely manner, and allow for effective administrative implementation, the SFAC has established the following deadlines for submission

Fees intended to go into effect in the Fall semester of any given year should be submitted no later than February 1st (or the next business day) of the same calendar year.
Fees intended to go into effect in the Spring semester of any given year should be submitted no later than September 1st (or the next business day) of the prior calendar year.
Fees intended to go into effect in the Summer semester of any given year should be submitted no later than November 1st (or the next business day) of the prior calendar year.

Fee Action Request Submission Instructions

Fee Action Requests, complete with required signatures, must be received in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management by the close of business per the above dates.

Option #1: Submission via email to the SFAC Co-chairs at: vpsaem@sfsu.edu.

Option #2: Submission via DocuSign - add vpsaem@sfsu.edu as a recipient who receives a copy of the document(s) after all required signatures have been obtained.

Fee Action Request Forms

Category III (Miscellaneous Course Fee) Fee Action Request Form
Category IV Fee Action Request Form
Proposals and/or requests for Category II fee actions should be submitted in narrative form. Proposals/requests should then be attached as a PDF document to an email to the SFAC Co-chairs at: vpsaem@sfsu.edu. Proposals/requests for Category II fee actions should include:
- Introduce the need for the requested action by describing the current condition(s) as relates to the requested fee action;
- Describe the impact that the requested fee action is intended to have on the current condition(s);
- Provide detailed accounting(s) for the proposed fee action including fee level, specific uses, and limitations, of any revenue generated by the fee;
- Demonstrate the requestor's successful efforts to consult with all other campus stakeholders regarding the requested fee action;
- Proactively address common and reasonable questions regarding the requested fee action;
- Provide comparative analysis of how the requested fee action is addressed on other CSU campuses and/or other comparable universities and;
- The requestor's immediate supervisor should be copied on the submission for situational awareness and to serve as an endorsement of the request.

Units/Departments requesting SFAC's endorsement of a fee action are advised to review the Important Documents listed below to ensure that the request is in compliance with applicable policies. For questions or guidance please reach out to the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs & Enrollment Management at: vpsaem@sfsu.edu.

New Category III Fee Requirement - Student Input

Effective Spring 2021, Category III Fee Action Requests will require input from students studying in the program that is requesting the fee action. Departments are also required to provide a written response to the student input. Input from the students impacted by the fee may serve as further justification and lend validity to the fee being charged/requested. Departments may solicit input from former and/or current students using the platform of their choice (Qualtrics survey, open comment forums, etc.). The platform used to solicit input, data reflecting the student input and, a departmental response to the input are all required on the updated Category III Fee Action request form found below.

Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC)