[CAUT] Student fees

[Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)]

I've been trying to get them to do this here for the last 5 years and the
Dean is finally willing to utter the words "student fees" now and is
actually considering it as an option. The state has cut our budget every
year for at least 15 years and we are down to the bone. Since we already
have an adequate maintenance budget, my suggestion has been to establish a
line in the budget (there is no such thing now) to apply the new funds
towards a program of purchases. This way we will actually be able to set a
PLAN into place and not just react to emergencies. The Dean wants to assess
piano majors only but I think everybody should be required to chip in. We
have approx. 1,500 students here in counting all departments, graduate and
undergraduate. If we have them each pay $25/quarter ($2.50 per week), that
will amount to $37,500 per quarter for three quarters and less for summer
quarter. This is nothing to sneeze at. My rationale for charging everybody
is that everybody uses the pianos here be they drama majors, e-media majors,
oboists, pianists or singers. Even if they use a piano just once a quarter,
the cost to have that piano there in good working order is the same as if
they were using it every day. You can't have part-time pianos.

I have yet to talk to anybody whose institution has a line item in the
budget for piano purchases and it just boggles my mind. Why is it this way?
It seems to be universal...if you want to get new pianos you have to find
somebody to donate them or create an endowment. It's been that way here
since the Conservatory was founded and it sure is hard to add a new budget
line. Of course, they did do just that a few years back so they can buy
everybody here a new computer every 3 years or so. They call it the
"technology fund" and is funded by student fees. I got a good laugh from the
dean when I asked for some money from that fund for my "digitally-activated
tone generating devices". I guess 19th century technology doesn't count.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eric Wolfley
Head Piano Technician
Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Alan McCoy [mailto:amccoy@mail.ewu.edu] 
Sent:	Monday, December 13, 2004 3:34 PM
To:	CAUTlist
Subject:	[CAUT] Student fees

Hey folks,

I want to make the case to the powers that be here that it would be a good
idea to institute a student fee to fund piano maintenance and purchase. I'd
like to hear from others who have experience with this.

If you have student fees for these purposes:

1. How much is the fee? How much is allocated for piano maintenance? Piano
purchases?

2. Who pays the fee? Music majors only? Minors too? Ed majors?


Do you have any advice for me as I put my case together?  What other
questions should I be researching?

Thanks.

Alan



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