What are we paying for?
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Tuition is up another 7 percent after an increase of almost 6 percent last year and a 9 percent hike the year before. But are students getting an equal return on their ever-increasing investment?
In our April 6 editorial, we wrote that “while we understand every group on campus has made sacrifices, students should not be the ones making the most of them.”
We’re repeating ourselves, but there is another, more important repetition at play: Major decreases in higher education funding have made Oakland University rely more heavily on revenue from tuition.
According to a report presented by Vice President of Finance and Administration John Beaghan to the board of trustees at their June 8 meeting, Oakland receives the fourth lowest amount of state funding among all Michigan public universities.
Further cuts will be made. Based on that, we understand the reasons for the tuition raise. However, it still doesn’t make it any easier for the students footing the bill. It doesn’t mean students have no say in how money gets spent, though. The general budget may have already been approved, but students can still enact change via their own slice of democracy.
Ben Eveslage, president of OU Student Congress, said he was speaking on behalf of the student body at the meeting when he said students “are critical, but accepting” of the tuition change.
Dozens of comments made on a post on OU’s Facebook page indicated otherwise. Students appeared to be blindsided by the decision — even though it came in early June, not late July as in years past.
“Student Congress itself is working hard to maximize our lean budget to provide the most beneficial programs and services to the student body, while at the same time coordinating with the other student organizations to cut costs and provide the most for the student body,” Eveslage noted on his Facebook page following the tuition increase was approved.
Here’s who is spending your money. You can influence how it is spent. It’s your student activity fee at work in a body that represents you.
This student congress administration wants you to “express yourself.” While it’s too late to reverse the decision that increased tuition, it’s time to speak up about projects that may enhance student life, but could be considered “luxury” projects during harsh economic times.
Starting in August, Kresge Library will be open 24 hours a day, Sunday through Thursday. It will close at 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. That will cost about $95,000, according to Interim Dean Frank Lepkowski, with $10,000 coming from OUSC.
In December 2009, former library dean Julie Voelck said the library does monitor how many people utilize the facility. It’s typically underused during later hours.
It’s not to say the continuation of student services is not an important task. We are all for the campus growing into a venerable institution. Based on student sentiment, though, we don’t think it’s the right time to keep spending from student activity fees via OUSC on these projects.
The amount of money being spent on things like the library project or ever-popular outdoor initiatives may seem unsubstantial, but it could go to directly help students in the form of things like scholarships.
The people spending the money need to be more prudent than ever. In turn, students need to be more proactive in participating in the dialog during critical decision-making times.
