Communications

Dear Spartans,

San José State University is considering a proposal to establish a new Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) Fee to support student programs and activities that are directly connected to instruction and the student learning experience. This fee proposal is being considered through an alternative consultation process.

 
To ensure students have an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and share their perspectives, we invite you to attend a Student Open Forum where campus leaders and subject-matter experts will provide an overview of the proposed fee and respond to student questions.
 
Student Open Forum
Date: Tuesday, February 10
Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Location: Student Union Theater
Virtual option:  Zoom
 
Pizza and drinks will be served after the Open Forum.
 
Your participation is important. This forum is designed to help you better understand the proposal and to ensure many student voices are part of the alternative consultation process. You may also get more information about the IRA fee proposal on the website.
 
We encourage you to participate in person or online and share your feedback through the IRA Proposal survey. You will receive a link to the survey via your SJSU email account or you may access it via one.SJSU or Canvas.

We look forward to hearing from you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Dr. Mari Fuentes-Martin
Vice President for Student Affairs
Chair, Campus Fee Advisory Committee (CFAC)

Dear Spartans,

San José State University is considering a proposal to establish a new Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) Fee to support student programs and activities that are directly connected to instruction and the student learning experience. This fee proposal is being considered through an alternative consultation process.

 To ensure students have an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and share their perspectives, we invite you to attend a Student Open Forum where campus leaders and subject-matter experts will provide an overview of the proposed fee and respond to student questions.
 
Student Open Forum
Date: Tuesday, January 27
Time: 4:00–6:00 p.m.
Location: Student Union Theatre
Virtual option:  Zoom
 
Pizza and drinks will be served after the Open Forum.
 
Your participation is important. This forum is designed to help you better understand the proposal and to ensure many student voices are part of the alternative consultation process. You may also get more information about the IRA fee proposal on the website.
 
We encourage you to participate in person or online and share your feedback through the IRA Proposal survey. You will receive a link to the survey via your SJSU email account or you may access it via one.SJSU or Canvas.

We look forward to hearing from you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Dr. Mari Fuentes-Martin
Vice President for Student Affairs
Chair, Campus Fee Advisory Committee (CFAC)

Student Alternative Consultation Process – Proposed Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) Fee
  
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

San José State University is launching an Alternative Consultation Process to gather student feedback on a proposed Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) Fee, which has been developed to provide sustainable, long-term funding for programs and services that directly support student learning, engagement, and success.

SJSU is currently the only CSU campus without a stand-alone IRA fee. The establishment of a new IRA fee will provide ongoing support for programs and activities that are integrally related to the formal instructional offerings of the University, consistent with CSU policy. The proposed IRA Fee will provide stable, equitable funding to sustain and enhance programs and initiatives that directly and meaningfully benefit SJSU students and that contribute to student learning, engagement, and campus life. 

Over the past decade, the absence of this dedicated fund source has created increasing challenges for programs that provide experiential learning and student engagement opportunities. The proposed IRA fee would support areas such as:

Instructional support activities – labs, fieldwork, undergraduate research, performances, and exhibitions
- Alternative transportation programs  – including the Bay Area Clipper Pass
- Student engagement and co-curricular programs
- Club sports and intramurals
- Student journalism and media (The Spartan Daily)
- The SJSU Marching Band
- Spartan NCAA Division I Athletics

SJSU’s campus mandatory fees for FY 2025-26 are $2,396 per year. If approved, the proposed fee would begin Fall 2026, with an annual amount of $369 per year ($184.50 per semester). As with all Category II campus-based mandatory fees, the IRA fee would be included in Cost of Attendance calculations and may be fully or partially covered by financial aid depending on student eligibility.

A Process Designed for Transparency and Student Voice

Between January 20 and March 6, 2026, SJSU will conduct a series of activities to ensure students have multiple, accessible, and equitable opportunities to learn about the proposal, ask questions, and provide input. Engagement opportunities will include:

- Email, social media communications
- Tabling and information sessions across campus
- Open forums 
- Targeted listening sessions with student groups and communities
- A campus-wide student survey to gather broad feedback

All materials—including the full fee proposal, FAQs, pro/con statements, and opportunities to participate—will be available on the IRA Fee Alternative Consultation website.

Following the alternative consultation period, the Campus Fee Advisory Committee (CFAC) will review the feedback received and make a recommendation to the President. The President will consider all student feedback, the recommendation from CFAC, and all other relevant information to make a final decision. If the President decides to pursue the proposed IRA fee, she will submit a final proposal to the CSU Chancellor for approval.

How to Get Involved and Share Your Voice

We invite every student to participate, ask questions, and share feedback throughout this process. Your perspective matters and will directly inform decision-making related to this proposal.

A schedule of engagement opportunities, along with resource materials, will be posted on the consultation website.

Thank you for your attention, participation, and partnership as we embark on this important conversation about funding the programs that shape learning, access, and student life at San José State.

With appreciation,

Mari Fuentes-Martin, Ed.D.

Vice President for Student Affairs

Chair, Campus Fee Advisory Committee

San José State University

Dear Student, 

SJSU is proposing to establish a new Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) Fee to support student programs and activities directly related to instruction, and to enhance the overall student learning experience.

The new IRA fee would be $369/year per student ($184.50 per semester) starting in the Fall 2026 semester. 

The new IRA fee would generate about $12.9 million per year, which would be allocated in the following way.*
 
Funding Area

Proposed IRA Allocation
Spartan Intercollegiate Athletics: funding in support of student athletes participating in SJSU’s Intercollegiate Athletics program
$5,000,000
(5 million)

Academic/Instructional Support: funding for student labs, student fieldwork experiences, student research opportunities, music/theatre performances, art exhibitions
$3,745,000
(3.7 million)

Transportation Support: free or discounted public transit passes for all students.
$1,715,000
(1.7 million)

One time annual allocations: Each year this money would be used on a one-time basis for different, new, short-term opportunities such as academic competitions, field experiences, pilot programs, and other initiatives, as guided by an IRA Advisory Committee.
$1,000,000
(1 million)

Club Sports and Intramural sports programs: funding in support of inclusive recreation opportunities, to be used for travel, coaching, safety equipment, facility access, etc.
$350,000
(350 thousand)

Student Engagement: programs for all students, such as student leadership development, student organizations, and inclusive campus events.
$300,000
(300 thousand)

SJSU Marching Band: funding for the Marching Band and its members for equipment, travel, and performance opportunities, etc.
$250,000
(250 thousand)

Spartan Daily: Funding for student journalists participating in the SJSU student newspaper, for media training, printing and distribution, etc.
$25,000
(25 thousand)
*These are proposed fee distribution amounts and are not final. The final allocations will be determined after the alternative consultative process has concluded.

The Campus Fee Advisory Committee (CFAC) urgently seeks the opinions, recommendations, and input of all students on the proposed new Instructional Related Activities (IRA) fee.

To that end, you are invited to complete this survey by February 15, 2026, 11:59 PM. The survey contains five questions and will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

Follow this link to the survey:
Take the survey

Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
https://sjsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3xSxrroapLoghwO?RID=CGC_9HqrgHH8hg0yLja&Q_CHL=email

To ensure confidentiality, all survey responses will first go to the SJSU Office of Institutional Research & Strategic Analytics (IRSA), where identifying information will be removed, and the data will be aggregated. After that, the data will be forwarded to CFAC for analysis. CFAC will look for key thematic patterns, which will be carefully considered when CFAC submits its recommendations to the President on March 6, 2026.

If you have any questions about CFAC or the content of this survey, please contact the CFAC Chair, Mari Fuentes Martin at [email protected].  

If you have questions about the confidential administration of this survey, please contact Marco Antonio Cruz, Senior Director for IRSA, at [email protected]. 

Thank you for participating in this confidential online survey. Your input is greatly valued.  

Sincerely,

The members of the Campus Fee Advisory Committee:

Mari Fuentes-Martin, Vice President of Student Affairs (CFAC Chair)
Teairra Brown, Student-at-Large
Zyjay Cruz, Student-at-Large
Katelyn Gambarin, Associated Students President
Tabitha Hart, Academic Senate Vice Chair
Rishika Joshi, Associated Students Controller
Sami Monsur, Academic Affairs
Maureen Pasag, Administration & Finance
Ishan Shah, Student-at-Large
Sivagami Subramanyan, Student-at-Large
Adi Tuidelaibatiki, Student-at-Large
Chris Wessels, Information Technology
Hiu-Yung Wong, Academic Senate Vice Chair