Following the tragedies at Virginia Tech in April 2007, the Administration positively responded to the needs of the Saint Louis University community, specifically by increasing the services of Student Counseling. It is comforting that the Administration recognizes this student need, especially in how it relates to the Ignatian spirituality of cura personalis or care of the whole person.
However, we find it irresponsible of the University to allow such a substantial debt to incur within Student Counseling. While we do believe these services are important for students, we also believe that the University should properly account for this in its annual budget.
Instead, the University will enact a new Wellness Fee, recently backed by Student Government Association at the Jan. 27 meeting. The fee includes the possibility for a new outdoor recreation complex, but currently the only thing that it is definitively going toward is paying off outstanding debts.
We applaud Senator Chris Ackels for highlighting how much the Administration values counseling services as reflected in its actions. Should the Administration truly value cura personalis, actualized in student counseling, the debt would not have occurred nor the funding withheld. Tuition should not be raised, nor a fee created every time a debt occurs. We cannot privilege the pursuit of expansion over our beliefs.
We commend the Administration’s efforts to involve SGA in the appropriation of the Wellness Fee. However, any negative response will therefore be pointed at SGA for backing the fee, rather than the Administration, where the fee originated.
This is yet another example of the Administration using SGA to promote its initiatives rather than SGA promoting the interests of students to the Administration. Next semester when you see the new Wellness Fee on your tuition statement, just think of it as the “I’m Sorry We’re Fiscally Irresponsible Fee.”

–Drew Thomas and Kevin Grillot, seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences