The School of Art will refund $62,590 of fees illegally collected from its students over the previous three years, according to a news release sent by the lawyer for former faculty member Margaret Herster, who filed suit against the School of Art for the unauthorized fees and for sexual discrimination.

A statement released to The Daily Reveille in late January by Stephen Haedicke, Herster’s lawyer, said the charges of sexual harassment and unauthorized fees filed against School of Art Director Rod Parker on Jan. 22 “amount to stealing money from students.”

An audit report spurred by Herster’s claims of unauthorized student fees was released Jan. 10 and concluded more than $55,000 in unauthorized course fees was charged to students for the fiscal years of 2011 and 2012 alone.

Associate Vice Chancellor for University Relations Herb Vincent said Tuesday the refunds are “a result of the recommendations from the audit report.”

According to Vincent, the $62,590 is being doled out to 620 students affected by the School of Art’s unauthorized fee collection.

Haedicke said he is awaiting a response from the defendants, who have 30 days to respond after being served court papers. Institutional defendants, such as the University, have been served, while individual defendants have not yet been served.

The email says the University will refund “fees you paid for Art courses you took in 2010, 2011 and 2012 that were assessed outside of the normal collection process for tuition and fees,” and it was sent about three weeks after the lawsuit was filed.

Refunds will be posted to the bank account each student has on record with the University or sent via mail to his or her home address.