Ohio University recently proposed a $40 optional fee to help cover the costs of building a new health center. We've said before that a waivable fee might be a decent way to help fund the improvement Hudson Health Center needs. We continue to stand by that idea ' as long as the fee remains optional.
The proposed plan, unfortunately, would not work this way. At first, the recommended $40 fee would be waivable, with the caveat that students who waive the fee would pay a co-pay and pay for testing. This makes sense. In 2011, however, the plan would institute a mandatory $37 fee. Why should students pay for a service they do not use? With the students already playing for Baker University Center from now until 2032, how long will those future classes pay for the new Hudson?
While we support the idea of a new health center, the university's lack of planning and foresight is unsettling. OU has a long history of trouble when it comes to buildings and money ' Baker Center is just one example. A new Hudson will require both. We endorse the optional fee and encourage the university to rethink the proposed mandatory fee. And we collectively hold our breath that new Hudson won't turn into new Baker Center, part deux.
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Possible student fee for Hudson revamp revisits Baker Center payment problems
