Dear Editor,

In an Op-Ed piece published July 21, staff writer Amandria Banks indicated how unfair it would be to have all students pay a fee to purchase iPads for freshmen. The Administration couldn’t agree more, and that is why this is not the plan. Rather, starting in Winter 2012, there will be a campus wide fee of $40 per quarter to support necessary student services and provide educational experiences – in the classroom, in the laboratory, in the field, and online – for all students.  This fee will not purchase iPads for students, nor will students ever be required to purchase books through the Apple store.  This year we will be forming a committee comprised of students and faculty to investigate and form recommendations on both the uses of the fee as well as any future plans to require some sort of electronic device for student use.  The fee will be used to provide such things as equipment, supplies, and experiences needed for our students to have a learning opportunity that prepares them to be successful in their future endeavors; it will be used to support student activities such as the Pioneer, theatre and dance productions, and musical performances, and will provide enhanced access for students to advising, tutoring and mentoring services.  If the decision is made to require students to have an electronic device in the future, whether a tablet, netbook or laptop, that decision will be made with extensive input from both students and faculty.  We will be working with ASI to identify student members and with the Academic Senate to identify faculty members of the advisory committee for 2011-12.  Thank you for helping us to clear up this misinformation.

Sincerely,

Susan Opp

Associate Vice President

Academic Programs and Graduate Studies