Students question nursing course fees
February 27, 2004
Concerned students came to the ASUW Board of Directors meeting last night to discuss nursing-school course fees with administrators.
School of Nursing Dean Nancy Woods and Undergraduate Dean George Bridges discussed the new implementation of a blanket $50 course fee that nursing students were told they must start paying at the beginning of winter quarter.
"We're out to offer the best program we can possibly offer," Woods said. "The undergraduate (nursing) program is our most expensive program."
In general, nursing students take an average of five courses a quarter. This amounts to $250 a quarter that students must pay in addition to tuition. With short notice of impending fees, some students were forced to bear the brunt of the costs, as financial aid did not have enough time to subsidize the additional costs.
According to Woods, a 1 percent to 2 percent drop in the annual budget and lack of tuition-setting authority caused the school to impose the fees. Lack of funding could cause the nursing school to cut back on experiential learning programs as well as admittance to the undergraduate nursing major.
Complaints have been raised as to how the mostly unspent revenue acquired from collecting the fees has benefited students who pay them.
"We would like to know what our money is going to," said Richard Barker, nursing student. "[In] some of the classes, we couldn't see the point in having [fees]."
According to Woods, revenue goes toward benefits that students may not know they are receiving, such as online lecturing, which replaces course packets, and disposable materials such as gloves.
"You don't see that you're buying it," Woods said. "But sooner or later, somebody has to pay for it."
According to Woods, the conscious decision to admit more students into the undergraduate nursing major and pursuit of an ethically responsible and competitive program makes the fees a necessary evil.
Both deans said they will be considering advanced notice of course fees and more transparent record keeping in terms of how student money is spent.
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