Hello campus members. Gil invited me to write this week’s "Top Hat" column so that I could share with the campus what the Academic Affairs Committee is trying to do this year. My hope is that for the duration of this article I will temporarily arouse students from the general apathy in which they exist. We have several projects we are working on simultaneously. If any of these issues interest you or you have complained about them before, read on and maybe come join our efforts.
Classroom Climate Control: As some students may have noticed, there are certain classrooms, particularly in Ricketts, Sage, and Carnegie that are either too hot or cold. We are currently designing a survey to be handed out to students and faculty so that we can ascertain which classrooms demand immediate attention. When we have compiled that information we will pass it on to physical facilities who will act on it.
Tuition Pricing: Over the past four years tuition has risen 21.5 percent. Members of the committee have been interviewing administrators regarding this increase. The reasons we have been given range from RPI’s lack of endowment to rising health care costs that RPI needs to cover for its tenured faculty. We are not yet done with this research and plan on continuing until we have a satisfactory picture of what is happening.
Tuition hikes are occurring at many schools according to the people we have spoken to. Our independent research shows that RPI’s cost of attendance has risen more than that of the average school. This is especially a problem because financial aid does not increase over time and students’ families have to make up the difference in cost. The Student Life Committee is working in conjunction with us and they are looking more specifically at room and board price increases.
Along with the research we are doing, we are also looking into possible solutions. For instance, one solution we are considering is locking in student tuition at the same rate for the first five years at RPI. This is, however, very tentative and we are looking for further input and help from the campus at large.
Laptop Policy: Laptops were introduced to RPI for a variety of reasons. Our committee, in conjunction with the Computing Committee, is exploring whether the benefits of laptops are justified in relation to their cost. Some of the specific issues concern software packages that come with the laptops and their versatility across different disciplines.
Graduate Student Concerns: Primarily we are interested in improving the English as a Second Language program for foreign graduate students. The ESL office itself has embarked on a major program for this, and we are looking for ways to assist them.
In closing: There are many other issues I would like to launch through this committee. Academic advising, the registrar/bursar system, and unbalanced credits are just a few of the many issues we are considering. To do this, I need manpower. So, either join us at 7 pm every other Wednesday in the Student Government Suite or return to your state of dormancy. For further information, I can be contacted directly at cnaana@rpi.edu. Good night.
