Academic
Senate endorses student enrollment fee
Dylana
Foy
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
A new president for our campus and discussion of a possible enrollment fee
were on the agenda for the Academic Senate at its Thursday meeting.
President Robert C. Maxson talked to the Senate about the appointing of the
new president, F. King Alexander.
Maxson was enthusiastic about Alexander and thinks he will be great for the
campus. Maxson said he thinks Alexander will be “a hit with students.
He’s got the personality and background to fit perfectly with this campus.”
One concern Maxson and members of the Senate had was how hard it might be for
Alexander to transfer to a new university. Senate members asked what they could
do to make things easier for the new president.
Maxson told them because Alexander does not know anyone yet, student and faculty
should invite Alexander to departments and programs.
Another topic under discussion was the proposed enrollment deposit. The senate’s
goal was not to approve the enrollment deposit, but to decide whether or not
they endorsed it. Tom Myers, director of admissions at CSULB, came to talk
to the Senate about why he thinks an enrollment deposit will be beneficial
to the campus.
An enrollment deposit is a deposit students put down when they decide they
will go to a particular university. It is a
fee given to the school before the student has even enrolled in classes. However,
it is not an extra fee added onto tuition, it is deducted from the tuition
cost.
The point of the fee is for the school to have a better idea of which students
will be attending that semester. Every school year there are a number of students
who tell the university they will be attending, but never show up. With a fee
in place, it is more likely students will decide to stay at that university.
Myers said this year at CSULB “Seventeen percent of students that said
they planned to enroll did not show up. The national average is 5 percent.”
Myers said the enrollment fee is all “about prediction.”
An enrollment deposit may seem like a new thing to CSULB students, but Myers
said, “Ninety-six percent of all U.S. universities requires deposits.”
Many other CSU campuses require enrollment deposits. The most recent CSU campus
to implement the enrollment deposit is San Jose State who adopted it last year.
According to Myers, “ In that one year San Jose dropped their no-show
rate from 13 percent to 8 percent.”
Those opposed to the fee said having to pay this money before tuition makes
it harder for students to be able to afford school.
Luis Arroyo, a senator from the College of Liberal Arts, said, “[I] would
vote against it because it might turn away students who can not afford it.”
|
