Authority to Set Fees for Goods and Services

Introduction

The purpose of this policy is to identify who has the authority to set fees for goods and services provided by the University of Regina.

Subsection 62(k) of The University of Regina Act states:

“[The Board may] fix and determine the fees to be paid for instruction in the several faculties of the university, the fees to be paid by regular and occasional students, the library fee, the laboratory fees, fees for examination, degrees and certificates and such other fees as may be considered advisable.”

Policy

The Board of Governors (Board) retains full authority for the approval of fees charged by the University except as delegated in this policy. 

Credit Instruction

The Board retains the authority to approve fees related to credit instruction, including but not limited to:

• standard and non-standard tuition (see GOV-090-045 Tuition)
• course fees
• service fees
• recreation and athletic fees
• international student tuition differential fees
• faculty student society fees
• Co-operative Education fees
• certificate course fees

The Board delegates authority to set program and service fees for Community-Based Programs to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) with an annual report on these approvals made to the Board.

Ancillary Services

The Board retains the authority to approve the fees set for ancillary services (i.e. Bookstore, Residence Services, Parking Services, Food Services, and Printing Services). The overall Board mandate is that the group of ancillary units (excluding Residence Services) must collectively break even or make a small profit. Residence Services must adhere to its 25 year business case budget. In addition to this mandate, as part of the annual budget setting process, the Board retains the authority to approve increases in the residence room rates and the parking rates.

The Board delegates the authority to set text book rates to the Manager of the Bookstore.

The Board delegates all other fee setting decisions in the ancillary units to the Associate Vice-President to whom each ancillary unit reports.

University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU)

URSU is an independent entity with its own governance structure and ability to set and collect fees. The University has no authority over URSU. However, a number of URSU fees are collected from students by the University on behalf of URSU (e.g. Student union fees, student union related fees, and health and dental plan premiums). The Board retains the authority to approve the collection of new URSU fees and to approve the collection of an increase in URSU fees that exceeds the CPI for Saskatchewan in the previous year. The authority to approve the collection of annual increases to URSU fees that do not exceed the Saskatchewan CPI for the previous year is delegated to the Associate Vice-President (Finance).

Non-Credit Instruction

The Board delegates the authority to adjust existing fees related to non-credit instruction, including but not limited to tuition and course related material fees, to the Dean, Director, Associate Vice-President or equivalent of each unit. New fees related to non-credit instruction are to be approved as part of the annual budget setting process.

Non-Instructional Goods and Services

The Board delegates the authority to adjust existing non-instructional fees for goods and services to the Dean, Director, Associate Vice-President or equivalent of each unit. New non-instructional fees are to be approved as part of the annual budget setting process.

Examples of non-instructional fees for goods and services include:

• Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Studies charging for Fitness Centre memberships, gym rentals, children’s swimming lessons, pool rentals, etc.
• Faculty of Science charging for testing of air and soil samples
• Conference and registration fees for University-hosted events
• Facilities Management charging partner organizations (e.g. Campion, Luther, Research Park) for utilities
• Facilities Management charging internal and external parties for renovation services
• Information Services charging the general public for cleaning viruses off of personal computers

Credit Course Materials

Tuition and course fees include the normal costs of providing those courses. Occasionally, a course will incur unusually high costs such as travel for field trips or expensive materials consumed by the students (e.g. film, clay). In those exceptional cases, a faculty may request approval to charge a material fee to recover the costs of the consumable materials by completing a Special Fee Approval Form. The Board delegates the authority to approve such fee requests to the Vice-President (Administration), and that authority has been sub-delegated to the Associate Vice-President (Finance). Requests for new fees less than $100 are not normally considered.

Consequences for Noncompliance

Employees who adjust existing fees or create new fees without the proper approval may be subject to disciplinary action.

Processes

Execution of Documents

The signing authority for the items in this policy may be delegated as the person with approval authority deems appropriate, in compliance with GOV-010-005 Approval Authorities and Execution of Documents.

Related Information

• GOV-090-045 Tuition
• GOV-010-005 Approval Authorities and Execution of Documents
• Special Fee Approval Form (requires employee login to URSource)