Plans for new fee axed

By Matt Rupel

On March 30, the Board of Trustees and university administration sent out an e-mail announcing changes to undergraduate tuition, including a charge of $1,038 per unit over 20 units. One week later, the administration announced the tuition overload initiative will be postponed for one year after receiving pressure from students.

Santa Clara students immediately began to organize in response to the new tuition policies. On the social networking site Facebook.com, Associated Students of Santa Clara University created a group in order for students to gather and voice their opinions about the new policy.

Following the news of the postponement, the administration also announced an open forum for students, arranged by Student Senate, to voice their ideas on the policy on April 26, from 6-7 p.m. in the Saint Clare Room in Harrington Learning Commons.

Students expressed concern that the new rates would prevent them from double majoring, minoring or switching majors.

Senior Caly O'Brien has two majors and two minors, which she said she wouldn't have been able to do if this policy had been in place during previous school year.s

"I thought that it would discourage truly competitive students -- students who truly enjoy challenges -- from coming to this university," O'Brien said.

O'Brien has taken over 20 units for all but two quarters, and she said she wouldn't have come to Santa Clara if this had been the policy when she applied.

"When I made (the decision) to come to college, it came down to two choices," she said. "One was a college that allowed students to take one major and the other was Santa Clara. One of the things that persuaded me to come here was the opportunity to study everything that interested me if I worked hard enough."

On Facebook, students voiced their concerns about the fees. One user wrote of the successes he achieved after receiving a double major from Santa Clara.

"Six out of my 12 quarters at Santa Clara have been 20+ units," he wrote. "Double majors will almost surely be wiped out with this new rule in place."

The posts on the group wall were mostly opposed to the new policy, but some defended the right of the university to set charges for extra units.

Some backed the new charges as necessary, adding the school is losing options for funding.

"Honestly, if the school needs more money, the school needs more money," a Facebook user said. "I think they found a fairly appropriate way of getting it."

In recent years, especially regarding the recession, Santa Clara has not been receiving as much in alumni donations, as Student Body President Sean Brachvogel and University President Michael Engh, S.J., both discussed in the State of the University address.

Other Facebook comments pointed to the massive difference between the per unit charge for a standard course load versus the fee for each unit over 20. If a student were to take 20 units per quarter for the fall, winter and spring quarters, the charge would be a little over $600 per quarter. That means that each additional unit over 20 would cost $438 more than a unit in the first 20.

The university responded to students' requests. On Tuesday, another e-mail was sent out by Lucia Gilbert, provost and vice president for academic affairs, acknowledging student unrest about the issue.

According to the e-mail, the administration has been searching for ways to overcome economic uncertainties and they have been considering a plan to charge for course overload for some time.

"Many other Jesuit and private institutions already have such a plan in place," Gilbert said in the e-mail.

"In the process of reviewing policies related to tuition and revenue, it became clear that the university's budget projections are adversely affected by the number of students taking course overloads on a consistent basis and graduating early," the e-mail continued.

"When students complete their degree requirements in 10 or 11 quarters by taking more than 20 units a quarter on a recurring basis, there is a direct impact on tuition revenues and the tuition rates we need to set to operate the university."

On Monday, ASSCU leaders met with Gilbert to provide student feedback to the policy. According to the chair of the Student Senate, junior Chris Mosier, the meeting was very productive and Gilbert was very receptive to student ideas.

"She recognized the student concerns that were brought forth, she recognized the faculty concerns and she sat us down and said, 'What have you heard from students?'" he said.

Said Brachvogel: "I want to emphasize they are very receptive to student concerns about the policy. They aren't interested in designing this behind closed doors."

The e-mail concluded with the promise that the policy will be continually refined over the next year to ensure fairness.

The policy refinements will likely be explored during the open forum on April 26.

"Be there," said Brachvogel. "The opinions and concerns expressed at the forum will eventually be the ones that shape and formulate the policy that will be on campus."

Contact Matt Rupel at mrupel@scu.edu.