University of Wyoming Communications sent an email to all students on Wednesday regarding the Board of Trustees new decision on student fees. The board decided to reimburse students some of their student fees, totaling $141.17.
“I don’t think it is fair to be charged for something we did not use. I am very pleased the students were listened to and that a positive change occurred,” said Kathryn Carrier, a Microbiology student.
Discussion of reimbursement of student fees began earlier in the semester, after complaints from students that student-fee funded programs were not available to them this semester. Some students were very pleased by this decision.
“I am very happy they are partly refunding us. I think it makes a lot of sense for them to do this because we did not have access to a lot of those things the fees cover,” said Carrier.
Brittney Stadler, an Accounting student and ASUW member, said “I think everyone is happy right now.”
Other students didn’t even notice.
“I had no idea there was a reimbursement, but that’s pretty exciting,” said Lucy Considine, an Economics Student.
This reimbursement is covering what previously funded Music and Theater, Recycling, and Athletics. It is still unclear how this decision will affect these programs; we do not know if reimbursement funds are coming out of these programs or being funded by an alternative source.
Students and staff are concerned the reimbursement will compromise the programs affected.
“We weren’t really using those programs this semester, but I am wondering why they even needed to cut those student programs in the first place. Why couldn’t they get the money from somewhere else? It sounds like we could’ve taken some of the CARES money to do the reimbursement, instead of defunding these programs,” said Considine.
“Recycling is a community service; football game attendance is a different story. I don’t think funding should’ve been cut from theater or recycling. I don’t know why they chose those programs to cut,” said Considine.
Margaret Wilson, Professor and Department Head in Theater and Dance said she did not know why the board chose Theater and Music.
“I believe that there is a perception that because we weren’t producing events in a live format, students didn’t have the opportunity to attend. But we held two theater performances this fall,” said Wilson.
The Theater Department put on Asking Strangers the Meaning of Life via a streaming service where students preformed in remote locations in October. In November, they filmed the musical 29, which will be available for distribution in January. The music department also held numerous events, all following safety guidelines.
Stadler said, “You don’t get the benefit of those fees anymore. The expenses for those departments are still the same. The music department still has depreciation on their music instruments, people are still taking those classes, football is still traveling and practicing, and coaches need to be paid.”
Stadler said the reimbursements, if they are funded by cutting these programs, could potentially hurt students in the future.
“I think for the most part every kid is happy about it right now. I think the kids that will be mad are the kids coming in future years who face the consequences of not having those student fees,” said Stadler.
Carrier said, “I do think it is important for us to pay some fees since we still had some of those programs.”
