When Ohio University students vote on May 14 to support or oppose a new technology fee, their opinions will come too late to affect Columbus decision-makers.
Eric Fingerhut, who oversees Ohio's public universities, told student leaders yesterday that he didn't see a compelling reason to wait for the results of the referendum, scheduled for May 14, so it can appear on the Student Senate ballot. Any delay would disrupt the university's plan to borrow money for the technology upgrade on May 13, the day before students vote.
We don't hold town hall meetings on every policy question that comes up
Fingerhut said, speaking via video conference to almost a dozen student leaders. Instead, Fingerhut said he would weigh opinions from student leaders, which he solicited during the meeting, before making a decision.
If approved, students will begin paying the $22 quarterly fee Fall Quarter and continue paying it for 10 years. The money would pay for half of a $40 million project to upgrade the university's aging computer network and buy a new student records system. A full-time student pays a $513 general fee each quarter in addition to numerous class- and college-specific fees.
A statewide tuition freeze bars the university from charging the technology fee without special approval from Fingerhut. Every student leader who spoke during the video conference asked Fingerhut to delay his decision until after the vote.
Robert Leary and Molly Shea, both jockeying to become the next president of Student Senate, pushed hardest for a delay.
Shea questioned whether Fingerhut could accurately gauge student opinion by talking to student leaders, who she suggested don't accurately represent students. Leary warned Fingerhut that a decision not to wait would show disregard for Student Senate, the very student representatives he sought input from.
The senate's current president, Michael Adeyanju, didn't say a word during the 45-minute video conference. In past interviews, Adeyanju has said he opposes a student vote on the fee. He also refused to sign a letter asking for Fingerhut to delay any decision until after students vote.
As the meeting wound down, Fingerhut asked the assembled leaders whether they support or oppose the fee. Only one said he opposed it.
We really can't support more fees for graduate students said Stephan Oechsle, Graduate Student Senate's vice president for committees and legislative affairs. I feel comfortable in my elected position to say we don't think this is appropriate for graduate students to pay.
Top administrators, chastened by Fingerhut for failing to properly explain the fee to students, said they plan to hold two open forums to answer questions on the fee and send several e-mails to students explaining it.
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Dave Hendricks
