Interim President Lou Hencken said he plans to pass the proposed University Board concert fee on to the Board of Trustees with his approval and Shirley Stewart, interim vice president for student affairs, had passed the fee on to him.

This action leaves Eastern’s Board of Trustees as the only hurdle left for the University Board’s proposed concert fee to pass before it goes into effect this fall. The BOT meets April 29.

Hencken’s approval comes after Shirley Stewart, interim vice president for student affairs approved the proposal and forwarded it to the interim president.

“I think it makes sense to have that concert fee in place,” Stewart said.

The UB proposed the $5 per semester concert fee last fall because members said booking concerts from the board’s zero-based budget has become impractical.

A zero-based budget is one in which UB-sponsored productions are entirely paid for by ticket sales from the event.

Rising performer and production costs, coupled with a loss of seating resulting from renovations to Lantz Arena decreased the UB’s possible revenue and selection of available acts. The new fee would give the UB a concert budget of approximately $50,000 each semester, depending upon enrollment.

A majority of students surveyed last fall were in favor of the new fee. Students voted on the concert fee proposal in February. An overwhelming number of voters approved the fee. Of the 1,926 ballots cast, 88 percent favored the new fee.

Stewart said she appreciated the good turnout.

“I was pleased to see that there was a good representation of students,” she said.

Hencken agreed the concert proposal process was done the right way.

“I applaud the efforts of the students,” he said.

The concert fee was approved by the Student Senate March 20, after the senate’s Tuition and Fees Committee agreed to the proposal Feb. 28.

UB Vice Chair Caleb Judy said he is pleased with the decisions of the senate and the committee.

“I think they did what’s in the best interest of the students,” he said.

Assuming the fee gets final approval from the Board of Trustees, Judy said a plan is in the works for a concert budget approval board to be established. The board would operate in a manner similar to the Apportionment Board, which oversees the budgets of five boards that receive funding from the Student Activity Fee.

Eastern is currently the only state school that does not fund concerts through student, Judy said.

UB members are currently working to plan the Family Weekend concert to take place next fall. They should have an act chosen by April 1, Judy said.

As for who will perform, both parents and students have been asked who they would like to see. The parents surveyed seem to favor Styx and B.B. King, Judy said.

Planning will start for other concerts once the availability of funding is known for sure, Judy said.