Future journalism students will need to dig deeper into their pockets if the Arizona Board of Regents passes a proposed fee at its meeting today at UA.
ABOR, the governing body that sets tuition and fees for state universities, will vote on the proposed $250 per semester fee for students new to the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Students who enter the Cronkite School starting fall 2008 will be required to pay the fee every semester once they reach junior status, said Christopher Callahan, dean of the Cronkite School.
If ABOR approves the proposal today, the fee will go into effect Fall 2008, he said.
The fee will be used for maintenance and repair of equipment, financial aid and extending the hours of operation of the Journalism School's future home on ASU's Downtown campus, Callahan said.
Journalism students are lucky to be in the situation they are in at ASU, he added.
"We are extraordinarily fortunate," he said. "We are one of the only schools in the country with a building only for us."
Instead of a fee, Journalism School officials could have implemented fees for specific classes or given students a list of equipment they would need to purchase themselves, Callahan said.
But implementing the semester fee was the most practical idea, he said.
The $500 annual fee would probably be manageable because college is already so expensive, said Natalie Gatz, a senior at Corona del Sol High School who will major in journalism at ASU next year.
"Now that school is costing thousands of dollars I don't think $500 is a big deal," Gatz said.
The Regents will also address ASU's proposed technology fee during their meeting.
The $100 fee, which would be used to fund University Technology Office initiatives, would go into effect fall 2007 if approved.
With the additional revenue, ASU officials hope to expand the wireless network on campus to increase the number of technology-enabled classrooms at ASU.
University officials also want to use the fee to expand and improve the online self-service environment, reducing the administrative burden on students.
Fifteen percent of the $100 fee would be set aside for need-based financial aid.
Reach the reporter at: gary.levison@asu.edu.
