Public forums will be held to gather additional input on a proposed campus-wide learning
technology fee that is designed to enhance the computing capabilities of students at The Ohio
State University.
The first forum will be held Wednesday, April 5, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in 160 Math Annex,
209 W. 18th Ave. The second forum will be held Tuesday, April 11, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., in 1000
McPherson Lab, 140 W. 18th Ave.
The proposal is a result of more than a year's worth of deliberation by the Learning
Technology Fee Subcommittee of the Deans' Learning Technology Committee. The
subcommittee consisted of Carole Anderson, dean of the College of Nursing, chair; Randall
Ripley, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and chair of the Deans' Learning
Technology Committee; and Daryl Seidentop, interim dean of the College of Education. An
initial proposal was circulated last autumn and reviewed by a number of groups at the college and
university level. The subcommittee felt that, although students have been part of the deliberation
and consultation process, it would be good to hold forums where additional input could be
obtained.
"Technology is and will continue to play an increasingly vital role in the professional and
personal lives of all citizens," the subcommittee's report states. "Graduates of The Ohio State
University must be prepared for the future and to meet the demands of employers for
technologically literate employees. A quality education at OSU should include the opportunity
to utilize information and learning technology to its fullest, in order to be prepared for a
technologically driven future. Without this, our graduates will be severely compromised....
"Learning technology resources are not free. Recognizing this, in 1998, approximately 70
percent of public universities charged a student technology fee averaging $143 per year. In 1993,
at Ohio State, the Fisher College of Business (including the School of Public Policy and
Management) and the College of Engineering introduced a computer fee that has allowed them to
provide their students with state-of-the-art facilities and instruction. This has been a very
successful venture and the direct benefit to students is well-documented."
In light of this success and in light of the fact that Ohio State resident undergraduate tuition
ranks ninth out of 13 public universities in Ohio, the subcommittee proposes that all
undergraduate, graduate and graduate professional students be assessed a student learning
technology fee of $50 per quarter for full-time students. Part-time students would pay a
prorated fee starting at $25 per quarter. Colleges and departments would pay the fee for graduate
students whose tuition is converted by fee waivers.
Eighty percent of the fee income collected would be allocated to the academic college or
program in which the student is enrolled, and 20 percent would be allocated to the office of the
Chief Information Officer.
The proposed fee requires approval from the university's Board of Trustees, the Ohio
Board of Regents and the State Controlling Board.
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Student Technology Advisory Committee
