Students taking classes this summer at Cal State Long Beach have undoubtedly received the “Oops-we-forgot-to-charge-students-an-extra-$30” e-mail. The message threatens that, if the bill isn’t paid by Aug. 15, a hold will be placed on the negligent students’ accounts.
That’s 30 bucks students were probably planning on spending on something frivolous and trivial – like rent, utilities, food, or gas to get to school. It seems to be such a small sum to complain about, doesn’t it? At least it might to the student who has graduated and nailed down that lucrative dream job. It makes a huge difference when scrimping one’s way through college, though.
The “administrative oversight” was slipped into student accounts on Sunday, July 8, but summer students weren’t offered an explanation, or apology, until four days later. What an inequitable notification process that was. In fact, the apology came right in the middle of final exams.
Perhaps the university was afraid those who didn’t do well on finals would skip town like deadbeat parents owing back child support. With a wave of a hand, and a few keystrokes, a bill and a threat were delivered. The sterile Student Account Services apology provided little assurance. Such treatment surely doesn’t develop much in the way of warm and/or fuzzy school spirit.
According to the July 19 Summer Forty-Niner article, the fee increase was approved back in May of 2006. That’s right: almost a year and two months after the University Student Union charge was passed down, which only makes one wonder what other important issues fall prey to administrative oversight.
In the article, Dave Edwards, the associate executive director of Associated Students, Inc., said that with the surprise fee increase (more than five times the original $7), summer students will be able to enjoy extended hours in the USU. Among the services that will have extended hours are USU eateries like El Pollo Loco, Round Table Pizza and Subway.
Hurray.
We can continue indulging on our favorite greasy food and making ourselves feel better by having a “healthy” sandwich once a week.
Don’t most commercial enterprises pay their overhead by building cost into the price structure for rendering goods and services? Apparently not at CSULB, where students foot Carl’s Jr.’s bills before they order an Original Famous Star.
No fries with that order.
There were, of course, some confused students who were quick to respond how unfair the unexpected charge is. One suggested the bill be postponed until next summer. Not a bad idea, but with more than 10,000 summer students, El Pollo Loco would need to sell crazy amounts of chicken.
Why must students, who had their summer budgets penned out, pay for a bureaucratic gaffe? Is it to save Round Table the urgent need to sell approximately $300,000 worth of pepperoni thin crust? Hold the anchovies? To threaten students with a hold seems unfair and makes any after-the-fact apology seem tasteless.
