Where Are Your Lab Fees Going?

By Danielle Reid, The Whetstone, Contributor

Although lab fees are listed in the course descriptions on MyWesley, many students overlook them. Even those who notice the charges wonder what this money is being used for. And many professors are asking the same questions.

“We don’t know where the money goes,” said Dr. Mike Nielsen of the Media Arts department. “I

assume to pay for leasing the computers and updating software but I’m completely lost on the budget process.”

Student Works in Media Arts Lab

Students need to start asking questions, said junior Warren Gross.

“We pay all this money,” he said. “Where does it go?

Gross said had no idea he was being charged $60 for each class he attends in the Media Lab.

Some of the lab fee money helps pay computer costs, said Dr. Patricia Dwyer, dean of academic affairs.

“There are special software programs the Media department uses that no one else does so part of the lab fee would go to that,” she said. “I’m not sure of the cost exactly and I don’t know what the lease is but part of it goes into helping to pay for the lease as well.”

Media Arts students are not the only ones looking for answers. Junior Genielle Snow was surprised to learn she was paying a fee for her Printmaking class in the spring.

“I had no idea there was a lab fee but my account balance says I’m being charged $125, and for what?” she said.

Art professor Zachary Adams used to have all the answers.

“The money generated from the fees goes toward purchasing supplies, about $90- $125 per student” he said.

But not now.

“Spring semester will be the first time since I have been here that the department will not have access to the majority of the fees.”

According to Adams, the art department will only see about two-thirds of the total paid by students in the spring; he does not know where the other one-third will go.

Dwyer explained that the money collected from lab fees goes into an operational budget, rather than going straight back into the department. She said part of the fees goes toward maintenance and electricity.

“I would be fine paying if I knew the money was going to supplies I’d be using,” Snow said, “but at this point I’d rather buy the supplies out of pocket than have the school take my money.”

Senior Brandon Wright said he knew he was paying a $50 fee for his science lab, but had no idea where this money was going.

Professors suggested asking the CFO or higher-ups what lab fees are used for, but students think the information should be more readily available.

“How come it isn’t easier to find out how our lab fees are spent?” Wright asked. “If the teachers don’t even know, it seems kind of unfair that we are being charged.”

Dr. Kathleen Curran said the department receives some of that money back in supplies, equipment, and maintenance, but not all.

“The remainder may be applied to hiring adjuncts to teach the labs, but to be honest I am not sure how it is allocated,” she said.

Dwyer explained that the fees for the science department are handled the same way as any other lab fees.

“The science department has a lot of needs in terms of lab equipment,” she said. “The fees don’t necessarily go dollar for dollar to the department. They come in as part of our operations and then we put in the budgets what they need in order to be able to run their program.”

“I find this bogus,” Gross said. “If they are making us pay for particular courses, the money should go straight to that course or department.”

Dwyer said that fees are determined by the departments but that she understands the pain students feel when it comes to paying more money on top of an already hefty tuition.

“I think just generally fees are something we need to take a look at,” she said. “We’re really taking a step back and deciding if a class actually has a cost that is beyond what would be paid in tuition. I mean nobody wants the science department not to have the cats they need so we make sure that they do.”