IUSA studies business fee

Starting in the spring of 1999, business students were assessed an additional $200 on their bursar bill per semester. When the current IU Student Association executives began campaigning last spring, they made the investigation into the fee one of their priorities. \n"With so many business students not knowing what the business fee was for, we felt it was important to inform them," said sophomore Jeff Wuslich, IUSA vice president of administration. "When we were campaigning, it was a very popular item."\nIUSA found that the school uses the fee for technology and business placement services.\n"We have one of the best career services in the country," said Dan Dalton, dean of the Kelley School of Business. "And technology is something we take pride in."\nThe school's Business Placement Office helps students find jobs and internships and provides resources. The school also provides students with Internet hook-ups in the classroom and library and teleconferencing systems. \n"Many of the classrooms are essentially laboratories," Dalton said. "We can bring in corporate speakers to meet with the students in real time. Students with laptops can be in the library for as long as it is open and do their work."\nSenior James Motter, one of the business school's IUSA representatives, said he would like a more detailed account of where the money is being spent. \n"If (the fee) is being used for what they say it is being used for, it is justifiable," he said.\nSenior Michael Katz, IUSA chief of staff, is a business student and helped investigate the fee. \n"I know it is important to the Kelley School of Business to keep up technology-wise," Katz said. "They want to keep themselves on top of things and in general keep resources up-to-date."\nIUSA plans to take this issue to the four IUSA business representatives and business students to see what they want to do. \n"We'll have our business representatives talk to business students," Katz said. "If they feel it is going to good things, we'll support them."\nIUSA chose to examine this issue because its executives felt there was a lack of explanation from the administration and a lack of understanding on the part of students.\n"I don't know what process they took to inform the students," Katz said, "and I know personally a lot of kids were shocked to see it on their bursar bill."\nThe administration, however, feels they did a good job of informing the student body. Dalton said that the fee was spoken about in the Tenth Street Times, the business school's newspaper, the IDS and with the numerous student business groups. The fee also had to get University approval.\n"It was a topic of discussion when it was proposed," said Maynard Thompson, dean of budgetary administration and planning. "(The business school) made a case that was accepted by the president and the board of trustees."\nThis fee is different in that it goes only to students in the Kelley School of Business.\n"There is no reason to put that (fee) into tuition," Motter said. He said fees are justifiable for students within a certain school "if there are specific projects that specific schools want to do."\nDalton said the continued and enhanced support of technology and career services is crucial to the education and future of all business students. \n"We think a graduate of the Kelley School of Business should be technology-enabled," Dalton said. "These are the tools they have to take to the workplace"