The Poly provides a forum to discuss student issues. I would like to raise an issue of morality. The issue is the effect on currently enrolled graduate students of the dramatic increase in tuition recently approved by the Board of Trustees.
The Trustees have the right to set tuition and overall policies. Whether the new tuition levels are consistent with our goal of improving Rensselaer’s national standing is a matter of debate, but the die is cast.
The tuition will be higher for new students, but how will the new policies be applied to existing students? For them and for those who support them, the impact could be severe. Obviously, the change must be administered in a moral and ethical manner. I will first discuss the possible impact of the plan on our currently enrolled students and then propose guidelines for protecting these current students from unduly harsh and unexpected treatment. The affordability of these guidelines will also be discussed.
The administration has suggested a variety of grandfathering schemes, but their terms are vague and are primarily aimed at students who are nearing completion of their degrees. Consider a student who started a doctoral program in January. The student expected to pay tuition on 90 credit hours at a rate of $700 per credit for a total cost of $63,000. Suppose the student is full time and takes five years to complete a PhD. Then the cost under the new plan will be nearly double the anticipated amount. If the student takes the maximum time allowed under the new plan, the tuition cost will be nearly triple the anticipated amount. No notice was given for such a major increase in cost, and the student has had no opportunity to explore less expensive schools. She was already enrolled, and even if she changes schools now, one semester and one semester’s tuition will have been wasted.
The impact of the new changes will be the hardest for self-supported students, but will also affect graduate students supported by the Institute. The new plan guarantees support next year for students who are now being supported as TAs, but what about the year after? According to the new plan, TAs are limited to two years. After that, the thesis advisor is expected to provide support, presumably as an RA. What if that doesn’t happen? Is it the student’s fault? Should the student be forced to change universities after investing several years in pursuit of a degree here?
The situation with respect to RAs and fellowships is more complicated. Many are subject to contractual agreements that must be honored, but all contracts entered after March 8 will reflect the new tuition plan. Grant renewals, even if subject to normal inflation, may not provide enough money to support currently enrolled students through completion of their degrees. Foreign students pose a special problem. There is a U.S. government form, the I-20, where the Institute pledges support for periods of three to five years. Forms executed by other universities have disclaimers that limit the university’s obligation in case of funding shortfalls. Ours do not. Is there a legal obligation to honor these commitments? Perhaps. Is there a moral obligation? Absolutely, and a similar moral obligation exists for U.S. students. Rensselaer must be held to a higher standard of conduct than mere legality. We must honor our commitments.
What is the remedy? Very simple. Students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program should be subject to the terms printed in the catalog at the time they enrolled. For example, a combined M.S./PhD. requires a total of 90 credit hours. The current $700 per hour fee might reasonably be inflated at the same rate as undergraduate tuition, but imposing a sudden and dramatic increase in cost is morally wrong when applied to currently enrolled students or to the people who support them.
The increase in graduate tuition is an attempt to increase revenue. Universities always need more money and must set priorities. The priorities should consider whose needs are being served: students, faculty, staff, administrators, or alumni. Of these groups, currently enrolled students deserve the highest priority. Rensselaer has a substantial cash flow, recently supplemented by the major unrestricted gift. Large amounts of money are scheduled for capital improvements and for the planned acquisition of research-oriented faculty. Currently enrolled students and the great majority of the existing faculty will receive no tangible benefit from these expenditures. Thus they are already paying the price of a lost opportunity since the new monies could have been spent to improve existing programs. Do not ask them still more. Delay the expenditures a few months and allow a fair and just transition to the new tuition plan.
Bruce Nauman
Professor of Chemical Engineering
