Vote YES for Rec

Many student fees were approved 20 years ago and have never adjusted for inflation. Because of this, there is a gap in the fees’ buying power, which is what your dollar actually gets you. The same dollar amount from 2006 buys significantly fewer student services in 2026.

Our student fees have stagnated. In order to “Save Student Services,” the fees need to catch up to today’s economic reality and restore their original buying power.

The Recreation Programming Fee is up for reaffirmation every four years. This allows the next generation of students to have a chance to vote on what is important to them.

The fees you see listed twice on the ballot are both up for reaffirmation AND they are part of the Save Student Services initiative to catch up with inflation. Vote YES on both!

The Recreation Programming Fee supports Intramurals, Sport Clubs, Adventure Programs, discounted classes, student jobs, and more!

If the reaffirmation of the Recreation Programming Fee or the Save Student Services initiative do not pass, all of those programs would be greatly affected. Class and program costs will go up for students, less programs will be offered, and student jobs could be at risk.

Fees won't just catch up, they will stay caught up. After the initial increase in Fall 2026, a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) will be assessed annually starting in Fall 2027.

COLA is calculated based on the US Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index. Using this official inflation data ensures that fees only adjust when inflation takes place and protects against future buying power gaps.

Voting at UCSB is not a function of being a US citizen, its all about being a UCSB Student. Your vote not only counts, but is VERY important to ensure future international students get the same Recreation benefits you get to currently enjoy. Vote Yes for Rec!

Just like students who have come before you, you have the chance to leave a legacy at UCSB and ensure that future students have the same access to services and resources that you have had. Your vote matters!

Your vote not only counts, but is VERY important to ensure future Gauchos get the same Recreation Programs, Services, and Facilities you get to currently enjoy. Vote Yes for Rec!

Return to Aid (RTA) will increase the financial aid pool that supports our highest-need peers. This is a critical safeguard for affordability.

If the measures pass, 25% of the total fees collected will automatically be set aside for UCSB grants and scholarships to fully cover the fee cost for students with high financial need.

The Recreational Sports Fee makes countless opportunities possible for thousands of students every year. Through Adventure Programs, Sports Clubs, and other events students are able to explore their interests, exercise, and make new friends. All of this is accomplished at an affordable price because of the fee initiative. This fee also goes to support over 550 students who are employed by these programs. Annual events such as the Turkey Trot, as well as services like the Campus Point rental center are all funded primarily through this measure. I strongly encourage you to vote yes on the Recreation Sports fee so these programs can continue to improve the experiences of UCSB students just like it has for me.

The Intramural Sports program provides an important space for so many members of UCSB's community. This Intramural Sports fee is critical to maintaining the diverse and affordable array of recreation programming that Intramural Sports offers. Whether that is enriching recreation programs, state of the art equipment, or student wages, Intramural Sports depends on fees like this to sustain its high quality programming. With the passage of the Intramural Sports fee, students are able to affordably engage in a wide spectrum of sports in various self-identifying skill levels. Along with being immensely popular with student participants, the Intramural Sports program employs more than 110 students in a variety of roles, from referees, Intramural Assistants, Sport Supervisors, and Night Supervisors. The skills obtained by student employees within the Intramural Sports program go on to shape their personal and professional lives in countless ways. Through the power of a robust Recreation Department and a thriving Intramural Sports program, students of all backgrounds can find their place here. This is only possible because of the Intramural Sports fee. 

The Recreation Center Operations Fee will make a large impact for UCSB students on a daily basis. Through this fee, the Rec Cen would continue to be open around 15 hours a day, all days of the week. This gives students the flexibility needed to work out amidst busy schedules. My class schedules have been busy and hectic in the past, so knowing the Rec Cen is open for a wide amount of hours allows me to still work out at a time that works well for me. Having that flexibility also helps numerous students, including myself, to improve physical and mental health, working off stresses from these busy class schedules. The fee also provides opportunities for the expansive facilities to be upgraded, with projects such as outdoor turf fitness area, and upgraded equipment. These new projects keep the Rec Cen an exciting place to work out. Ops also staffs a large number of students itself. Personally, working in Ops, specifically Customer Service, has helped to shape my undergraduate professional experience. Working closely with fellow students and professional staff alike has helped me develop and gain transferable skills to carry with me after I graduate. I strongly encourage you to vote yes for the Recreation Center Operations Fee, so students can continue to enjoy the vast benefits Recreation has to offer.

Help Keep Your Rec Cen Open!

The original thirty-year Rec Cen I Student Lock-in fee that funded the building, and daily operational expenses, of UCSB’s award winning Recreation Center is expiring this summer. As it does, UCSB's student body is tasked with a critical decision. One that will greatly impact access to campus recreational facilities for both current and future Gauchos. As a UCSB student from the early 1990's, the only campus recreation facilities available was a double-wide trailer with 1970's weightlifting equipment and sharing the Old Gym swimming pool with Intercollegiate Athletics. I will be forever grateful for the vision and guts of the undergraduate and graduate students of 1989 who approved to tax themselves to build UCSB's state-of the-art Recreation Center. As a dues-paying staff member of the Rec Cen since 1995, and current Staff Representative on the Rec Cen Governance Board, I appreciate more than most people what our amazing Recreation Center means to the UCSB community. Today, you’re being asked to vote to approve a quarterly replacement Recreation Center Operations Lock-in Fee that will help with facility improvements, and most importantly, cover the $1.3 million dollars in lost annual Rec Cen I revenue that currently pays for basic Rec Cen operational costs. Without this replacement income, we will not be able to cover all the wages of students needed to operate the facility and may have no other choice but to reduce Rec Cen operating hours starting as soon as next Fall quarter. If you appreciate the importance of access to quality recreation facilities at UCSB, then I ask that you vote in favor of the Recreation Center Operations Lock-in Fee this spring.

Help continue the legacy your fellow Gauchos started back in 1989!

The Rec Sports Fee will allow the continuation of students to stay active in the different opportunities offered at UCSB. As a fourth year student, I have had the privilege of participating in Intramurals and Sports Clubs. These programs have over 11,000 students that engage in activities that benefit their wellbeing. It has enabled me to make lifelong connections and make UCSB feel smaller with seeing so many familiar faces. I have found a sense of belonging within the rec sports community and I want the opportunity for other students to find the same. The fee will also arrange an affordable cost for students while providing job opportunities for student development. I strongly recommend the approval of this fee so many students can have the same outstanding experience I had within my college years.

As a current student staff at the Department of Recreation, the referendum for a Recreation Center Operations Fee is necessary. The Recreation Center Operations Fee would increase the possibility of better quality fitness equipment, enhanced conditions for fitness spaces, increased long-term fitness programming capabilities, and the ability to continue to hire student staff. I strongly encourage you to vote yes on the Recreation Center Operations Fee so these opportunities can continue to improve the experiences of UCSB students just like it has for me.

The Recreation Center Operations Fee is critical in allowing the department to continue providing programs, services, and facilities that enrich student experiences at UCSB. These offerings promote an active, balanced lifestyle which enhances overall well-being. This makes an immense impact on maintaining a school to life balance. In addition to exploring personal interests, the Department of Recreation also allows for students to build community through programming, events, and working with like-minded students. This fee will allow the Rec Cen to remain open and accessible to all undergraduate and graduate students for over 100 hours a week. The included membership, expansive hours, and always improving facilities/equipment are made possible by voting yes. Recreation prioritizes its over 600 student employees through professional development, extensive training, and gives them the chance to get real world leadership experience. The department has always made it a priority to put students first in everything they do, and the Recreation Center Operations Fee will continue to make that possible. Even as I find myself on my way out as a student, I know the value that recreation has added to my experience at UCSB, and I think it is essential that we push to enable future students to be able to experience recreation this way, if not better. The Recreation Center Operations Fee is needed to make that happen. VOTE YES!