Biking for the students

Thank you, Mr. Hennessy!\nDave Hennessy, as you may have read in Jackie Corgan's IDS article, "Pedaling across state to protest tuition hikes" last Friday, is a 71-year old Hoosier who bike-rides to universities across the state, drawing attention to the problem of costly tuition. \nHe's right: IU's in-state tuition is now up to $2,286.55 a semester, and is expected to increase yearly. Student fees are also rising. The technology fee doubled to $200 a semester this fall. For some students, the price of higher education is becoming too costly. \nAs Hennessy pointed out, "it's the middle class suffering right now." The poor receive financial aid, the rich can afford tuition, but the middle-class usually go in debt in order to get an IU degree. \nDavid Zaret, executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said, "IU must continue to improve the competitive standing of faculty salaries … IU has not yet achieved the goal of IU Trustees and President Brand to move faculty salaries to the top tier of Big Ten institutions," in a May 16 article of the IDS.\nInterestingly enough, according to the American Association of University Professors, the average professor already earns $94,000 -- three times the amount the average Hoosier earns yearly, which according to the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, is $27,100. Even more interesting, President Brand earns a whopping salary of almost $300,000. But despite the administration and faculty's cushy salaries, IU continues to raise tuition, and yes -- increase their salaries. Brand likes to shirk responsibility, attributing inflated tuition to our state legislature instead, who, facing their own budget crisis, decided to cut spending. Imagine that. \nWho's more important anyway -- the educator or the student? Good educators should be paid accordingly, but the University needs to remember that it is the students who must foot the bill. \nSimply pumping more money into professor salaries doesn't necessarily mean the quality of instruction will jump too. In fact, one wonders whether quality of education is even related to high-salaried professors. Tenured professors oftentimes devote themselves to publicizing their research in some obscure journal that is read by only a handful of other professors. And while the tenured professor is compiling his research, he leaves the petty job of teaching to an Assistant Instructor. \nIU administrative elitists seem unable to devise any possibility of shrinking their souped-up budget. I dare not suggest they lower their own salaries, but I will suggest other ways to reduce IU's budget. \nFirst, cut out the socialized health care system. It would be great if we were all rich and wanted opportunities to dispose of our money. The truth is though, most college students have to go in debt in order to pay for other students' healthcare.\n Second, rethink the technology fee (now $1,600 for four years). Students already have to wait almost every time they want to use a computer on campus. They shouldn't pay more for this cruddy service. Instead, get a group deal on laptops and adopt a Student Computer Ownership Program by using technology fee revenue to supply each student with his or her own laptop. Just think: no more computer shortages, and students will already have a business tool when they graduate. \nThird, if you can't make ends meet, just stop spending. More spending doesn't automatically generate better faculty and can actually hurt students financially. Students shouldn't have to bear the brunt of your unrestrained spending sprees. \nThe administration tends to ignore students when raising tuition. But maybe Hennessy can influence them to go easier on our wallets.