The Facts: The chancellor was available to talk with students about tuition increases on Wednesday, but few students took advantage of it.
Our Opinion: Students should make an effort to understand the tuition increases in order to respond better to the chancellor.
Tuition Talk was held in the Brickyard Wednesday. Students were invited to discuss the upcoming increases with Provost Arden and chancellor Woodson. They were both available, along with free hot chocolate, for an hour and a half.
Very few students stopped to talk with the chancellor in the Brickyard even though students complain about the proposed increase to tuition. Instead of complaining, students should have taken advantage of the chancellor’s availability Wednesday.
The provost and the chancellor cannot read the minds of N.C. State students. But instead of sharing their thoughts with administrators, students tend to share their complaints or comments with their friends. If they really want to make a difference, students should make an effort to contact the chancellor, the provost, or the Board of Governors with their thoughts.
The chancellor is doing a fantastic job of being accessible to students. From Tuition Talk to Lunch with the Chancellor, Woodson is constantly thinking of new ideas in order to meet the students halfway. But without students taking the extra step to meet with him his efforts are in vain.
Additionally, students will have a better chance of getting their views heard if they educate themselves on the tuition increases. In order to do this students can follow the tuition discussion through Technician or Student Government. Plus, the chancellor and the provost made learning about the increases even easier by hosting the Tuition Talk.
Provost Arden explained that last year $80 million in cuts were made to the total budget, $67 million of which came from the academic budget. The proposed increase would generate $20 million for the University. Provost Arden said approximately one third of that would go to financial aid.
If a student is already informed about these tuition changes, then Tuition Talk could have been used to share his or her opinion of the increases. Having your opinion heard is a better option than complaining to your friends, because when talking with the right people there’s a much greater potential for change.
If students couldn’t make it to the Brickyard during Tuition Talk, they can ask their questions through go.ncsu.edu/tuitionfeesquestions.
Students can “Ask the Chancellor” directly by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. Students can also contact the Board of Governors, who must approve the increases, by sending an e-mail through the N.C. State website.
