Despite early controversy, the sixty dollars in extra fees imposed by university deans from the Summer 2010 quarter has raised over $3.5 million for improvements to the CSU East Bay campus.

Operating on a self-support system that did not rely on assistance from the CSU system,  the fee has enabled the campus to fulfill its promise on better equipment, upgrades, and new technologies to benefit students’ education at CSUEB.

Emphasizing the unfortunate state of education in the country, deans felt the fee was more than necessary to alleviate a budget that restricts students from competing successfully in the job market without up-to-date softwares and tools.

University deans felt the fee was an incredible opportunity to grant students what they deserved: a quality education.

Incoming students along with continuing members of the CSUEB community can now begin to enjoy up-to-date software and materials deans say will make their education filled with unlimited possibilities.

“[The fee] allowed us to bring our instructional technology apart with the rapidly changing digital world, and refresh our basic instructional equipment that was dated or broken,” said Jiansheng Guo, Interim Associate Dean for the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS).

“With the upgrades, the programs feel proud of their equipment inventory, and faculty members feel better equipped in their efforts to achieve instructional excellence,” he said. “We hope the students will enjoy using the equipment.”

The $570,000 awarded to CLASS benefitted nine departments, said Guo, ranging from cutting edge digital production and GPS software, sound, lighting, photographic equipment and software that allows placement for student field work, now available for student benefit and use.

Dr. Terri Swartz, Dean of the College of Business and Economics (CBE), said the fee was necessary “because the university does not receive enough support from the state to cover the expenses associated with providing a quality education,” adding the $170,673 will now truly give students accurate representations of what is to come after college.

Michael Leung, Dean of the College of Science, said the science departments on campus have not had a major science equipment overhaul for nearly 30 years, adding that their $1.2 million upgrade was desperately needed.

From 54 new microscopes for biology, to seismograph systems for earth and environmental science programs, and psychology behavioral data collection stations for behavioral issues, among many more upgrades, Leung reiterates the purchases are an extremely positive event for students.

“If anything this purchase of equipment has a long lasting effect for our school,” he said. “This will at least last five to ten years. One summer has produced a long lasting effect for our school that will greatly help student for years to come. It is a great step in the right direction.”

Leung cites this fee as a stepping stone for further plans to revitalize the campus with even more updates and equipment, since according to administration this is only the beginning of great change for CSUEB.

“We don’t want to fall back again, we want to continue improving our school because students deserve it,” said Leung.

Amidst the numerous and startling tuition hikes and budget cuts in the CSU system, CSUEB students for now, deans say, should revel in their new equipment and enjoy their education as they have deserved to all along.