In a letter to students from Dennis Black, vice president of Student Affairs, a proposal was announced that, if accepted, would increase the Comprehensive Fee by $25.50 per semester, an increase of roughly four percent. For the fifth straight year now, the fee will go up, but now the previous justifications for the increase no longer hold water.
With a sizable tuition hike on the horizon, it seems harsh to impose a further increase on the student body. Past arguments for raising the fee have pointed to the steady tuition level as justification for the increase - if the tuition was not increasing, the justification was that the money had to come from somewhere - that argument no longer stands.
Tough economic times call for tough economic decisions. The measure of a successful institution is not how it thrives during the good years, but how it perseveres during the trying ones. The life-blood of any institution of higher learning is its students, and to siphon money from them year after year is inconsiderate.
Perhaps even more relevant is the fact that student fees are not covered by financial aid such as the Tuition Assistance Program. Students who are having trouble making ends meet now will have enough on their hands finding an extra $1,200 for next year; while $25 may seem minor to an institution as large as UB, that $25 can mean a lot to students struggling to get by.
"Further investment in the program both administratively and athletically is required in order to be competitive with UB's peer institutions," reads part of Black's letter. Perhaps so, but now is not the time to place our athletic stature above the needs of the ordinary student population.
Yet, students are not without a voice. While UB is not required to abide by student opinions on this matter, speaking up and expressing alternate views cannot hurt. Student Affairs has announced that forums will be set up to hear comments and concerns from the student body. This year, Student Affairs is holding online forums in the hopes of increasing student feedback. The first of these forums is April 8, and since UB is one of the most wired universities, according to Yahoo!, there is no excuse for students not to participate. We urge undergraduate and graduate students - both of whom will be directly affected by the increase - to tell administrators how they feel.
In difficult financial times, the Comprehensive Fee must be monitored with care, and the burden rests squarely on the students to make their voices heard. Services are an invaluable part of student life, but when students are struggling to get by, each increase to the fee must be considered much more carefully and with more emphasis placed on the consequences of such an increase.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
