The Student Senate Wednesday will vote on whether to endorse a plan that would raise the cost for housing and dining next semester by as much as $250, said Senate Speaker Adam Weyhaupt.

The senate will meet at 7 p.m. in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

At issue is a housing rate increase proposal worked out by Weyhaupt; Student Body President Katie Cox; and Lou Hencken, vice president for student affairs, that would raise rates for residence halls, Greek Court, and meal plans. The increase would range from $155 to $250 for each student, depending on the student’s meal plan.

Hencken said a rate increase is necessary because of inflation, the need to hire additional workers to maintain the campus’ new cable system and a recent shift by students to less expensive meal plans.

Senate members also will decide whether to endorse the residence hall newspaper program and a plan to install paper towel dispensers or hand dryers in residence halls, programs that, if eliminated, would save students $17 a semester.

Weyhaupt said the vote on the proposal will not be an easy decision for senate members.

“It’s a serious sum of money on a serious issue,” Weyhaupt said.

Senate members said they had hoped to factor in student opinion from a forum held Monday on the housing rates. However, as only two students attended the forum, many senate members said they will now base their vote on the results of a survey on housing rates and programs distributed by senate members to hundreds of students last week.

“We’re going to work off the surveys,” said senate member Taylor Collins.

“It depends pretty much on the outcome of the surveys,” said senate member Nick Skipitaris.

However, although all the surveys haven’t been counted, Weyhaupt said the results appear to be evenly mixed on several of the survey questions.

“In many aspects, they’re close,” Weyhaupt said.

Other senate members are relying on alternatives to the surveys to gather student input.

Senate member Yve Williams said she gathered feedback from friends, students in residence halls and the Latin American Student Organization.

“I had a backup plan,” Williams said. “I feel comfortable about what I’m voting on.”

Regardless of the senate’s vote, Weyhaupt said a rate increase proposal will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its meeting Friday.

If the senate votes down the current proposal, Weyhaupt said it is highly likely that the BOT would vote on another proposal recommended by the Bond Revenue committee in its proposed budget finalized last month. Under that proposal, rates reach as much as $50 more than the current plan.

However, the old plan also would give students more Dining Dollars with their meal plans, while the new proposal maintains current levels of Dining Dollars.

In other business, the senate will consider a bylaw change that would ban the allocation of Student Government funds to third parties, including people, activities, organizations and academic departments.

Weyhaupt said although no Student Government funds have been allocated to third parties this year, the bylaw change does acknowledge a problem that exists.

Weyhaupt also said the bylaw change is not related to the recent controversy over a bill that would have allocated $100 for a Student Government advertisement in the Miss Black EIU pageant program. The bill was defeated last week by a 9-13-2 vote after several senate members said the senate should not give money to groups not affiliated with Student Government

The bylaw change also would officially give the job of preparing the senate’s annual budget to the Senate Speaker and the Student Body President. The budget would then have to be submitted to the entire senate for approval.

Weyhaupt said although the budget is currently prepared in this way, the system is not mentioned in the senate’s bylaws.

The senate also will consider approving Zeta Alpha Omicron as a RSO.

The group’s RSO application to the senate states the purpose of Zeta Alpha Omicron is “to encourage students to praise and worship God through step; to provide spiritual leadership, programs, and service; to assist students in developing strong spiritual foundations throughout their lives.”