> In addition to tuition and housing, students are faced with numerous fines and fees throughout the year - either to access certain University services or as penalties for damages and misbehavior. Students have long complained about the financial burden caused by these fees, and the administration has responded by removing many of them this semester. However, numerous departments ranging from Residential Life to the Dean of Students Office continue to charge students anywhere from $100 to $400 each year for many services and infractions.
One of the highest fees students pay every year goes to Health Services. The money, which was $464 this year, allows students an unlimited number of visits to Health Services or the Counseling Center each year, and to receive primary care, over-the-counter medicine, nutrition advising, counseling and gynecological care. The health services feel also pays for three visits to a psychiatrist, but students must pay for subsequent appointments as well as dermatologist and orthopedic visits and lab requirements.
The health services fee has increased consistently at rate of 3.9 percent for the last few years, as has the overall University tuition. Director Michelle Bowdler explained that while not every student uses $464 worth of services each year, the charge is necessary because it provides the operating budget for the department.
"Students receive more valuable treatment and attention from the fee," she said. It allows Health Services to streamline its processes and advance computer programming, which in turn improves the efficiency of the department.
Besides the student activities fee, the Health Services fee is the only large fine that is imposed on all students. Several major fines were eliminated this semester, as most felt that they were unfair and a burden for financially-strapped students.
Residential Life changed its policy of fining everyone with a key to the building for damage that occurred within it after students became angered over several incidents in Wren Hall last spring. Dorm residents were vocal about the unfairness of mass fines after they were fined after a pinball machine was destroyed and a fire extinguisher was misused.
For the most part, students have been pleased with the abolition of group fines in residence halls.
"The mass fining made a lot of people unhappy," Assistant Director for Staff and Judicial Programs Robert Clark said. Acting Director of Residential Life Lorraine Toppi said that the policy was revised so that "students' experience at Tufts could be more enjoyable."
Under the new policy, no one is fined when a culprit for damages remains anonymous and students are rewarded for revealing information about the incident. The University, therefore, is left to cover the cost of such occurrences, which means that every student is paying for it through tuition.
Another change occurred in the alcohol policy this semester, as the administration abolished the fine for violations and instead mandated that students be placed on probation. Previously, students were fined $50 for their first offense, and the fine increased with each additional infraction.
Students have expressed widespread satisfaction with these changes. Senior Jackie Brot and her housemates were each charged with a $100 fine for a noise violation at an off-campus party last year. They had to meet with the Dean of Students to discuss the matter.
"This party did not concern the University at all, and they shouldn't have gotten involved," she said. Brot and other students feel that the new policy is fairer, as the monetary fine was arbitrary and students were sometimes able to talk their way out of the punishment.
Then there are some fines that students bring upon themselves and accept as part of collegiate life, such as those imposed by Dining Services and Tisch Library. The Library imposes a 25 cent fine a day for overdue books, and the money goes to the general Arts, Sciences, & Engineering operating budget.
Dining Services often assesses a five-dollar fee to students who wish to gain entrance to the dining halls without their ID cards. However, that fee is subjective and the staff is advised to use their own judgement when applying it. This charge goes to the Senior Fund, which is a division of Financial Aid. Director of Dining Services Patti Lee said that a deterrent fine is necessary because as much as $2,000 can be stored in students' ID cards. "We want to know that it's you [as you enter the dining hall]," she said.
Students who change or cancel their meal plans after the three-week grace period at the beginning of the semester are also charged a fee that goes to recover costs and pay the dining staff. There is also a fine if students are caught stealing or damaging utensils or property of Dining Services. This charge starts at $50 and can increase depending on the offense.
Lee said that such instances are rare and fining often does not take place. She recalled one incident where a student stole dishes and silverware from one of the dining halls to make dinner for his girlfriend. "We would have gladly loaned it to him if only he had asked," said Lee.
Parking is one example of how students are charged for services they use, as students must pay a fee each semester to obtain a parking decal. If cars are not parked in the few designated places or if they do not display proper permits, drivers face another fine from the Department of Public Safety. The type of parking ticket given out varies depending on where the violation occurs and how many times the vehicle has previously been ticketed. Visitors to the campus are also expected to pay five dollars a day for parking in visitor spaces at the University's new parking garage.
