Non-mandatory student fees, charges are the focus of review committee

Phase one of the recently formed Non-Mandatory Student Fees Review Committee is under way, following the group's first public meeting on Oct. 14.

The committee was created through the offices of Susan Murphy, vice president of student and academic affairs, and Carolyn Ainslie, vice president of planning and budget. The group is charged with documenting and reviewing concerns regarding non-mandatory student fees, and with making policy recommendations in an advisory report to Murphy and Ainslie.

"The committee members will examine the existing fee structure here at Cornell -- both the policies operating behind the fees and the fees themselves," said Joshua Katcher '06, student trustee and co-chair of the review committee. "Though we are currently in the process of documenting what students perceive as 'nickeling and diming,' student fee issues that will probably come up include having to pay for gym membership, net-print, perceived overcharging for new IDs and the like."

Paul Streeter, senior project director in the division of planning and budget, co-chairs the committee, which includes nine students, three faculty and three staff.

Non-mandatory fees are miscellaneous charges that do not include expenses such as tuition, dining and housing and student activity fees. Concerns about the number and amount of the Cornell fees led to the formation of a universitywide review of the issue.

Student fee committee members will distribute student surveys in November that seek student input and explore the extent of any fee-related concerns, and determine the issues warranting highest priority attention.

During the second phase of its charge, committee members will examine issues deemed most problematic and develop recommendations for improvement.

A preliminary report will be reviewed by the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Assembly and the Financial Policies Committee of the Faculty Senate. Final recommendations are scheduled to be presented to Vice Presidents Murphy and Ainslie in spring 2005.