$120 quarterly fee could pay for e-books, iClickers, netbooks and e-tutoring
CSU East Bay Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) held three forums in the last two weeks to discuss the implementation of a new $120/quarter academic fee.
If approved by Chancellor Reed’s office, the fee would add an additional $120 per quarter to any existing tuition hikes next fall for all students at CSUEB.
One thing the fee may pay for is a switch to e-textbooks and a plan to require all incoming freshmen to purchase electronic devices such as a netbook or iPad to support online textbooks.
The fee is said to provide students with a broader range of academic services that include peer mentoring, e-tutoring, online advising services, expanded library services and hours and programs for at-risk students.
It will also cover the cost of the Writing Skills Test, iClickers, and any costs associated with courses.
CSUEB administration delivered the completed fee proposal to CSU Chancellor Charles Reed last Monday, and expect a decision as soon as May 9.
Sally Murphy, the university’s director of general education, said the decision is under the complete discretion of the chancellor. Students have no vote in the matter.
According to Murphy, students currently only pay $24 per year for instructionally related activities, in comparison to $180 per year for the Recreation and Wellness Center, $165 for the University Union, $129 each for athletics and Associated Students Inc. student body, and $231 for health services and facilities.
ASI has said that it was not their responsibility to provide a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the issue at this time. Their official statement is that the students should have the right to vote on the matter at hand.
Some students are in support of the proposed fee.
“I think an improvement in academics at CSUEB is necessary,” said sophomore Molly Aggrivador. “Our primary purpose is our education, however significant the fee increase may be.”
Some students, like Edward Brown, a political science major, are against the fee initiative and view it as a “mandatory fee” increase that would hit financial aid students the hardest.
“If you listen carefully, they want it to be mandatory so they get guaranteed financial aid money,” said Brown, who added that it would also remove a student’s ability to budget their book costs and force to them to take out more loans as a result.
In order to develop valuable research related to the e-textbook and tablet/net-book portions of the proposal, the incoming Fall 2011 freshman class will act as test subjects to determine whether or not e-books are as effective as paper copies, as well as the effectiveness of electronic notepad devices.
If e-books and net-books prove to be an effective learning mechanism for students, plans will be made to advance the proposal and make it a mandatory fee that all students will be subjected to pay.
There will be a one-time estimated fee of $500 for every incoming student to cover the costs of the tablet/net-book. Students will also be obligated to pay a mandatory fee of approximately $615 per year to cover the costs of e-textbooks.
Mark Weisbecker, a CSUEB student that has investigated the fees extensively, stated how “vague” the fee forums were.
“This is a way to increase tuition without increasing it,” said Weisbecker. “They know students won’t be okay with this.” He also noted how quickly the initiative was being pushed through by the administration to the Chancellor’s office to meet a May deadline.
“This fee is like smoke and mirrors,” said Weisbecker. “They throw up big words that sound great, like ‘e-text’ and ‘moving to the digital age,’ but they fail to mention that the $120 per quarter for the proposed A2E2 fee does not cover the e-tablet.”
In addition, faculty members, including philosophy professor Jennifer Eagan, said that “many” teachers were not in support of the fee initiative because of the lack of clarity in exactly how the funds would be used.
“My primary concern about the fees is the lack of time that we’ve had to deliberate about these fees,” said Eagan, who also added that the initiative seemed to be a blanket fee for all students regardless of their differing needs.
ASI Vice President Rafae Khan said that the A2E2 fee initiative is a positive proposal that would help students save money on textbooks.
“I want them to think with an open mind; to do a cost-benefit analysis to see how it will benefit them and students after them,” said Khan who also added that he thinks that more time and research needed to be taken to understand the initiative more thoroughly.
Moreover, associate vice president of student affairs, Stan Hebert, said that the fee and transition to e-textbooks had been successful at a “half dozen” other CSU schools.
“These technologies and enhancements are almost a necessity to close the digital divide,” said Hebert, who added that students would feel the benefits later on.
