Thursday, Ball State University held a public meeting regarding the decision to raise tuition costs for in-state students by 4.9 percent. The corresponding increase would be 6 percent for non-Indiana students.
Turnout for the meeting was low, according to the Star Press, and President Jo Ann Gora told the paper she hopes the low turnout is an indication that students understand the need for such increases.
Others at the meeting suggested student and parent apathy was responsible, yet it's hard to ignore several issues Ball State's administration is ignoring that may explain the lack of student turnout.
First, the public meeting is held yearly the week following graduation. Students have moved out the week prior, and few parents are going to be bringing their young students back to campus for such a forum the first week of summer. Students who remain on campus may have left for the week before summer classes, while others simply may not have known of the forum, which wasn't prominently promoted in advance.
Others who work in the community have jobs that would prevent them from attending such a forum during the noon hour. Accusing working citizens of our city of being apathetic is surely an overstatement in that case.
Still, one thing I feel isn't addressed by either of these arguments is the fact that the university, year after year, shows it has a lack of respect for students paying tuition here - particularly those of us taking summer classes.
Students receive bills for summer session courses during the first week of May. But, as in years past, this year's tuition raise won't be finalized until today's meeting of the Board of Trustees. Students, who only have an "estimate" of what tuition will be, must still plan budgets accordingly in order to pay full costs by June 1. Those who must accept outside aid or who need to apply for personal loans to cover costs must do so without knowing exactly what final tuition will be.
This is an incredibly flawed system.
I spoke to financial aid officers the week prior to Spring Semester classes ending and no one could properly explain the reason for this system. Calls to the office of the president only brought me to a dead end - secretaries proved they knew nothing on the subject and I was unable to speak with anyone who actually makes the decisions that affect students financially.
What does that say to students? Compound that with the fact that the lone public meeting on the subject is held during the one week between sessions, and it's hard to argue that students who fail to attend are apathetic. We merely aren't able to conform our schedules to the whims of administrators who are simply going through the motions.
If the university wants public participation in discussions on the subject of tuition, they should provide a mix of forums during times of peak student population to allow a wide cross-section of the student body to attend. Doing anything other than this is a disservice.
Beyond that, suggesting lack of attendance shows a support for flawed administrative policies is a flat-out insult.
Write to Jonathan at jonathansanders@justice.com
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