This week, a handful of students provided input on a proposed mandatory Auxiliary Services Fee of $184 per student that will be required from all students in the School of Management (SoM).
Attendance at the SoM forums, open to students on Wednesday and Thursday, was remarkably low, with less than a dozen arriving to express their opinions. However, an e-mail invitation was sent out to all the students who would be affected by the implementation of the fee.
The lack of response from the students has been taken as a general assumption that the student body sees a need for the fee, according Katherine Ferguson, associate dean for academic programs of the SoM.
"We are basing [the decision] on overall student reaction. If we sent out an e-mail message to over 3,000 students and only one student responded with a question-it sends the signal that students understand," Ferguson said.
According to Ferguson, SoM officials also had a preliminary discussion about the fee with student leaders SoM club presidents, representatives of the Graduate Management Associations and Undergraduate Management Association and other clubs that resulted in a general backing of the fee.
SoM officials explained that the final recommendation to adopt the fee would be determined after the student consultation period in form of the two open forums.
Attendees of the Thursday forum in the Alfiero classroom consisted of three MBA students, five undergraduate students and two graduate students, in addition to SoM officials that were present.
The turnout at Wednesday's forum was "about the same," according to Ferguson, who led the question-and-answer style discussion.
"If implemented, the new fee will be reflected in Student Account statements distributed to all returning and new students in January 2009," stated Dean Arjang Assad in the Fee Student Consultation Letter sent to all SoM students.
Ferguson explained at the beginning of the consultation session that the fee will cover the cost of operating the Career Resource Center (CRC), exclusive to those with approved majors within the SoM, which helps students plan for their future careers.
"It was not the desire of anyone in the School of Management, starting with the dean and including all the staff and faculty, to charge students a fee," Ferguson said. "One thing that is incredibly important to us is doing everything we can to provide you with a quality education."
In order to stay on top of the list of nationally recognized business schools, SoM officials explained the CRC must be available to students. There are hardly any business schools that do not have an exclusive branch of career services for their students, Assad said.
"In order for us to be considered to be among our peer business schools, against which we compare ourselves, we need to offer services that are directly focused on management students," Ferguson said.
The fee is needed to keep the Career Resources Center open and to reduce the strain of keeping instructors in the school, despite the budget cuts and university-wide hiring freeze, results of the current conditions of the New York State economy.
"Right now we have two options, we can charge students a fee or we can reduce instructional capacity that we have - meaning offering a smaller number of classes that could affect your term to graduation," Ferguson said.
Students during the session asked about other options that the SoM could consider easing the need for students to justify the budget deficit.
Officials explained that dwindling grant dollars available to universities from federal funded organizations are currently going to research initiatives more often.
"Research dollars from federal agencies are not plentiful for schools of management. That doesn't mean we couldn't apply to a foundation for a grant to support the Career Resource Center... we are constantly in dialogue with donors," Ferguson said.
One student identifying herself as an MBA student in the SoM during the session suggested that students believe this fee will be pushed through regardless of the feedback at the forums.
"I think it is less than an e-mail issue. This fee is already going to be pushed through regardless of what we think," she said. "...That is why you are not getting a bigger turnout here of students with comments."
Ferguson explained that the wording in the e-mailed consultation letter expressed very carefully that the passing of the fee would be determined by student reaction.
"That is the first time a student has said to us 'we don't want to pay the fee,'" Ferguson said, in response. "If everyone came here and said they didn't want to pay the fee and the fee was unjustified we would have rethought it."
Matthew Rozell, a sophomore intended accounting major, explained that he does "not necessarily" support the fee, but if it comes down to it he would.
"If it needs to be done it is worth it. I have not used [the CRC] much, but I have looked it over. Next semester, I plan on getting an internship through the CRC," Rozell said.
Wei Yu Zhao, a junior finance and international business major, has high expectations for the fee if it passes. He currently has mixed feelings about the fee that he believes students need; however, the school should fund it.
"It is not a great idea, but I think it's something we need to face because of the financial crisis. The services are really valuable to us. It's definitely something the school should do, but its services that we need," Zhao said, after participating in Thursday's forum.
The fee will be included as part as cost of attendance, according to Ferguson. The SoM will work with the Student Response Center to "manually repackage financial aid" for the next semester, so those eligible for tuition help will not be stuck with an extraneous cost.
The final decision to pass the fee will come as soon as December of this year, according to Ferguson.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
