Journalism students will be $150 poorer than expected after settling their student bills this fall.
A “professional charge” has journalism students puzzled after it appeared on their accounts for the first time this semester, and only after tuition had been charged to their accounts.
“When I saw it, I was like, ‘I don’t know what the hell this is,'” graduate student Romney Smith said. After contacting the university’s financial aid department, she discovered it was the first time the journalism school has charged this mandatory fee.
The fee surprised students who felt they should have been notified about the fee and what it was designed to fund.
Notifying students about the new charge slipped through the cracks, said Linda Ringer, assistant dean for business operations in the college of journalism. The college has a lot on its plate, she said, including adjusting to a new dean and overseeing the construction of Knight Hall, so it didn’t occur to them to inform students.
“I would understand [students] being upset about [not being informed],” Ringer said. “It should be something we should have notified you about.”
Ringer said a computer programming error charged students’ accounts after the tuition payment, which made the bill even more “glaring.”
Ringer said she has talked to students and parents, apologizing for not notifying them in advance. Most parents told Ringer the charge wasn’t going to be a problem, but Ringer added they should talk to an advisor if it poses a hardship for students or their families they should talk to an advisor.
Most professional colleges within the university have similar charges, as do other journalism schools across the nation. Junior journalism major Matt Ford, who recently transferred from Northwestern University, said $150 seemed cheap compared to the thousands of dollars spent on equipment required by Northwestern.
Ringer said peer institutions charge students thousands of dollars in mandatory fees over four years. This university’s smaller charge will support software updates, the school’s UMTV station, off-site bureaus and subscriptions to wire services.
“[The charge] makes sure we are able to buy what students are using,” Director of Public Affairs Matt Sheehan said. “We want to provide that equipment so students are exposed to it.”
He added it is much easier to provide the resources through the college rather than require students to buy new technology on their own.
In the past, money for computer labs and broadcast equipment has come from private donations, but Sheehan said the college is trying to continue the revenue stream while “ramping up” technology.
Sheehan said the money, which he roughly estimated to be anywhere from $140,000 to $150,000, will not leave the bursar’s office until December and therefore can’t be used for immediate updates.
The fee will be reevaluated later to see if the amount is appropriate, Ringer said, but any changes to the fee must be approved by the Provost’s Office, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Bill McLean said.
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