What is a student fee referendum?
The student fee referendum is a vote, or ballot election, conducted to determine student support for a new mandatory fee paid by all Berkeley students. It is analogous to the California direct initiative process, which enables voters in our state to bypass the State Legislature and place an issue directly onto the ballot for approval or rejection. According to policy issued by the UC Office of the President, each UC campus can propose new mandatory student fees to fund student services, extracurricular needs, and campus safety. However, all new mandatory student fees must be approved by a majority of voting students. Without the approval of voting students, the fee may not be assessed.
