Targum hosts panel after U. Senate's public hearing on tuition cost

On Friday, the Rutgers University Senate held a virtual public hearing on this academic year's tuition increase and Senate committee charge S-2320. After this hearing, Senate members attended a follow-up panel discussion hosted by The Daily Targum.

The committee charge examines the timing that tuition costs become publicly known, acknowledging that this information is often made public after National College Decision Day on May 1 — the deadline by which many colleges and universities, including Rutgers, require incoming students to commit.

Prior to the hearing hosted by University Senators Troy Shinbrot, a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Rachel Maeng Brown, a Rutgers alum, the Senate distributed a form that accepted responses from students, faculty and family members of students to voice their concerns.

One such responder, Abimbola Oladimeji, a Rutgers Business School alum and former member of the University Senate, spoke about shifts in financial aid that occur after the end of the semester and said this practice adds financial hurdles to University enrollment.

Michael Van Stine, a graduate student in the Department of History at Rutgers—Camden, said that the University should explore open communication and collaboration across fund-governing bodies to limit tuition increases or to even lower tuition.

"The key would be that we get cooperation from the administration and Mike Gower (chief financial officer and University treasurer of the Board of Governors) and others that we really can get accurate information (from) as to the cost components that go into tuition," Van Stine said.

Bryan Plaza, a School of Engineering senior, said the University charged him $1,000 from a previous year’s balance into his term bill. He said he wants Rutgers to more accurately apply accounting standards for students' term bills.

"We adhere to strict payment deadlines, and it's only fair to expect the same standard from the University. While some issues may stem from state-level decisions, our university must advocate for our interests and ensure timely resolution of these financial matters," he said.

Additionally, Plaza said that the University must outline explanations for fees, such as the student fee, which is $1,417.50 this semester, to which Oladimeji agreed.

Robert Scott, an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology and a University Senator, said that the University's financial choices affect him as both a renter in the New Brunswick area and as a parent of a Rutgers student.

He said he was upset that the Board of Governors approved the tuition increase just weeks before the term bill was due and long after May 1. The phenomenon of paying for a service after committing to it and on such short notice was strange, Scott said.

Plaza said the University's lack of transparency has a negative impact on student trust and creates pushback against increased fees. He said that, in order to regain student trust, the University must include students in administrative decisions, suggesting the creation of a separate entity to analyze these procedures.

During the Targum's panel that occurred after the public hearing, Shinbrot said that as a member of the Senate's Budget and Finance committee, he sees a complete lack of transparency and lack of access regarding Rutgers' financial information.

Scott also said that recently announced budget cuts for faculty lack a clear rationale for the decrease in funds.

"I don't ever see any justification of a real and actual financial crisis if the unrestricted reserves of the entire University keep going up," he said.

Scott said he noticed that while tuition has increased, he has not seen any improvements in the facilities and resources provided by the University, such as course scheduling and buses.

"Every year, they do a budget. The budget results in an announced deficit," Scott said. "Then, the year happens. Then, when we finally get the data on what actually happened, there was a surplus," Scott said. "It happens every single year."

He said this can be attributed to the University administration utilizing an inaccurate model to predict the deficits in order to avoid spending money on various departments' and students' requests.

Paul Boxer, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers—Newark and a University Senator, said that though the tuition has increased 2 percent above the national average on all Rutgers campuses, including Camden and Newark, there is no explanation as to what services will be improved upon in each campus that warrants the increase.

"I think it's very fair to ask the question of, to what extent (are) these increases in tuition … distributed equitably, covering demands and services and needs across all three campuses, and not just in New Brunswick?" he said.

Karen Thompson, a professor in the English Department and a University Senator, said professors are having their courses closed as a cost-saving tactic by the administration. These closures lower the number of available courses for students and disrupt their academic goals.

Scott said cutting the number of courses causes filled courses to go past the maximum number of students allowed, which in turn forces professors to divide their attention among an unusually large class.

He said the tuition increases would also cause more students to become commuters, choose less expensive dining plans that could lead to food insecurity and work longer hours, distracting them from their academic experience, Scott said.

"I feel compelled to express that my experiences with Rutgers' administration will significantly influence how I speak of the University in the future," Plaza said. "I will always be thankful for the faculty and staff, but I will not speak highly of Rutgers for its administrative decisions, and this has left a lasting impression to myself and others."