Students will have the opportunity to vote this week on whether the student activity fee, which funds the majority of student groups and events on campus, should remain mandatory.

Every two years the State University Board of Trustees requires that each SUNY campus hold such a referendum to determine if students prefer the fund to be supported by mandatory fees or by a voluntary payment.

The fee, which is currently mandatory for undergraduates and set at $86.50, supports student groups and events at Binghamton University, including club sports, concerts planned by the Student Association Programming Board and cultural organizations.

SA members have designed the language used in this year’s referendum to better coincide with that used by the Board of Trustees, according to Financial Vice President Chris Powell.

“Essentially we’re adopting language that’s closer to what the SUNY Board of Trustees suggests we use,” he said. “In the past the Executive Board, I guess, wasn’t fully aware of the sample ballot requirements from the SUNY Board of Trustees.”

According to Mike Calabrese, the SA elections committee chair, earlier this semester SA members did not have the correct language for the referendum.

This week members introduced a new paragraph which provides background as to what the fee is used for to preface the actual referendum. The wording of the referendum’s question is the same as the one used two years ago, which was previously approved by administrators, he said.

A voluntary fee would “rob” the campus of many experiences, according to Powell, and prevent the SA from continuing to sustain the more than 150 student groups.

“Money is always an issue for student groups,” said Alice Liou, head of the SA Financial Council. “Having worked with a student group I know we have tried to get outside funding but unfortunately it’s just difficult. Most of our funding does come from the SA.”

A change in the status of the student activity fee would have a huge impact on the SA Programming Board’s ability to produce affordable concerts for BU students because the committee would be unable to subsidize costs with the fee, said Sandi Dube, vice president for University Programming.

“The only reason student tickets are so low right now is because you already pay for a portion through the student activity fee,” she said.

The Programming Board would be forced to look for ways to fund raise for events and concerts if the fee doesn’t remain mandatory — including shows like the recent Foo Fighters performance in the Events Center.

“If the students were to vote ‘no,’ it would honestly be devastating,” said David Bass, SA president. “There would be no money for anything. In general the student activity fee provides student life.”

SA Executive Vice President Joe Danko agreed with other E-Board members.

“It is extremely important to keep the student activity fee on this campus mandatory,” he said. “Doing so would guarantee the continuation of the student groups on campus.”