Letters to the editor

Ferrari’s proposed flat-rate tuition plan unpopular with students

I am strongly opposed to Chancellor Michael Ferrari’s flat-rate tuition plan. The proposed plan would penalize students who don’t take 15 or more credit hours. While it may persuade a few more students to graduate in four years, there is no way to know how many.

If such a plan were implemented, what would happen to premajors who have been taking only exploratory classes. With the new plan they will have to struggle to fit all their upper-level courses into the final two years in order to get their money’s worth. This is often impossible due to scheduling and prerequisites.

Some students can’t afford to take 15 hours due to financial circumstances, work, extracurricular activities or other commitments. This plan would add pressure and stress to their lives resulting in a loss to them and TCU.

I will graduate in four years, and I have taken 15 or more hours only twice in six semesters. I transferred summer classes from a local junior college in order to save money. This plan is not a sensible option for students who take this approach, as they will still have to pay for those hours at TCU.

Ferrari stated in the Skiff, “It gives students taking more than 15 hours a semester a real price benefit and incentive.”

This is true, but what percentage of TCU students take more than 15 hours a semester? Surely it is a small percentage indeed.
Ferrari also mentions that paying by hour makes TCU feel like a public university. Why is this important? TCU needs to look at ways to distinguish itself from other schools instead of trying to follow them.

If TCU wants to make a difference by investing in the students and not reaching in its own pocket, it should drop this idea. It is time for TCU to step out of the shadows and take this bold step.

Beau Ellenbecker
junior movement science major

Student questions necessity of newly adopted printing plan

There is a popular saying that goes, “If something happens to you, you deserve it.”

Well, if the current printing policy remains at TCU, it will be our own doing by surrendering to the apathy that surrounds student issues here.

Does the policy make sense in theory? Yes. In practice: It’s is flawed and arbitrary.

First of all, did anybody ask the students before implementing this, or is it another one of those under-the-table moves of the administration? Where did the figures “200” copies and “8 cents” a page come from? Did some research take place indicating that most students would be able to function with this assigned number of copies?

Saying “the average student” will be OK doesn’t mean anything, even if a percentage of the people print 200 pages or less a semester, another 50 percent is getting ripped off slowly.

Are the people of TCU willing to sell learning short for 8 cents a page? Ink and paper should be included in the $390 a credit hour that we are paying for our tuition.

If we don’t protest what we dislike, it will remain this way. What’s going to be next? Are they changing to that flat-tuition plan without asking students?

I encourage all students who dislike this policy to express their concern to the administration. Write papers by hand unless specifically instructed by the professor.

That way, they have to spend hours trying to figure out your handwriting. Protest any papers longer than five pages and their rough drafts on the grounds of financial strain. Turn in your papers on floppy disk.

But probably the most effective strategy is to write the chancellor and whomever else implemented this policy on a piece of paper and sign it: “One printing page short, sincerely yours.”

Raquel Torres
junior e-business major

Editorial policy: The content of the Opinion page does not necessarily represent the views of Texas Christian University. Unsigned editorials represent the view of the TCU Daily Skiff editorial board. Signed letters, columns and cartoons represent the opinion of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board.

Letters to the editor: The Skiff welcomes letters to the editor for publication. Letters must be typed, double-spaced, signed and limited to 250 words. To submit a letter, bring it to the Skiff, Moudy 291S; mail it to TCU Box 298050; e-mail it to skiffletters@tcu.edu or fax it to 257-7133. Letters must include the author’s classification, major and phone number. The Skiff reserves the right to edit or reject letters for style, taste and size restrictions.