If the proposed University Board concert fee of $5 per semester gets through a long approval process by April, it will be implemented by next year, Caleb Judy, University Board vice chair, said Monday.

Student Life Director Ceci Brinker said the possibility is still tentative and it depends on the deadlines, of which the ultimate deadline is the April Board of Trustees meeting.

However, before the April Board of Trustees meeting, students must vote on the referendum, it has to be passed by the Student Senate, then Shirley Stewart, acting vice president for student affairs, and the president’s council, Brinker said.

“It is very feasible to get that approval,” Brinker said.

The referendum is scheduled to take place during the spring Student Senate elections, which may take place in February, she said.

If the fee is implemented for the 2002-2003 school year, Judy said a big act will take place Family Weekend, but he couldn’t expand on any plans.

“We anticipate having at least two concerts per semester,” he said.

Concert coordinator Bud Wierenga said that a concert may end up taking place before Family Weekend if a good band becomes available. However, the planning will not start until the fate of the concert fee is known.

In the meantime, Wierenga and Judy are trying to get word out about the fee so students are well informed about why the money is needed, how it will be used and how it will benefit students, Brinker said.

“I have gotten a ton of positive feedback,” Wierenga said.

A good turnout in the election is important to the fate of the fee, as a lower turnout may decrease the chances of the fee passing, Wierenga said.

Planning for next fall’s Family Weekend show normally starts around this time, Brinker said, but it is on hold until the fate of the fee is decided. Brinker said that information has been received on various acts, but the narrowing down process has not been started.

Wierenga said that research and surveys will also be conducted to determine the type of concert to be offered as soon as the decision on the fee is made.

The concert fee was proposed by the UB in an effort to get out of debt and to have a budget able to sponsor big concerts.

A survey conducted by the UB near the end of the fall semester indicated that 80 percent of students would be willing to pay $5 per semester in order to get bigger concerts on campus.

Approximately 750 students responded to the survey.

Students interested in working on the concert committee is invited to an informational meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday in the Casey Room on the third floor of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union, Wierenga said.

Following the informational, Wierenga will conduct interviews for the committee, which will comprise about 10 people working in such areas as ticketing, security and marketing.

The main goal will be to have fun, he said.