The Missouri Southern Athletic Department has proposed the ROAR (Recharging Our Athletics and Recreation) fund to Student Senate, which would impose a $4 per credit hour charge on students.

The fee would be capped at $60 per semester, exempting distance learning credits, and Student Senate will vote to either allow or prevent the ROAR fund to go to a student vote. If Senate does not vote to allow the ROAR fund to go on at tonight’s meeting, then the voting will not take place until the 2014-2015 academic year.

The money from the ROAR fund will not just go to the athletic facilities. Ten percent of the fee will go to the student activities office to give back to the students. Some ideas of activities the 10% will assist funding are giveaways, post game shows and concerts.

“I think more concerts on campus would be cool or famous celebrities or entertainment,” said Allison Anth, undeclared freshman.

At each home sporting event, there will be free admission for students and one guest, along with a $2 coupon to the concession stand.

“What we really want is a stadium full of the student body there, because that is what makes the games fun. That is what makes the environment and the atmosphere,” said Cori Reid, assistant athletic director for facilities/marketing/operations during the ROAR public forum on March 13. “So things that we can do to try to help make that more fun, things that we can do to get more students to the game, that is what we are looking for, to make the overall experience better.”

The athletic department has provided a list of five facility enhancements that would be started in the next five to ten years.

1. Video Board at Fred G. Hughes Football Stadium (estimates $1.2 million)
2. Band Uniforms (estimated $40,000)
3. Turf and Bathrooms for the Soccer/Intramural Facility (estimated $1 million)
4. Scoreboard and Student Deck Area at Softball Field (estimated $60,000)
5. Sound and Light System Improvements in Leggett & Platt ($400,000)

If Student Senate approves the ROAR fund at the meeting tonight, then students will vote on the issue the week of April 21.