In Tuesday’s edition of the Temple News, Ann Hyclak did a news story on DISorientation, a seminar held by the Progressive Student Coalition, made up up four campus student groups.
This Coalition has made 14 demands of the university. I can agree with some of the demands as being worthwhile and necessary. For example, doubling the money given to Multi-Cultural Affairs is a great idea, and certainly in keeping with the image Temple likes to have of itself as a diverse campus. Also, making the available classes at Temple more balanced against Eurocentrism would be an initiative that could keep Temple astride of academic diversity.
Some of the demands, however, two in particular, were simply not grounded. First, the demand for Temple to freeze tuition where it is. Second, the demand to open the TECH Center and Paley Library to the public.
Freezing tuition would only serve to make campus life much less affordable. Temple has to get their money from somewhere, so the money they would not make in tuition hikes they would make up for with fees, cutting of programs, and limiting or charging for some of the programs we enjoy now. While it would be nice to freeze tuition, it simply is not realistic. Money must come from somewhere. In fact, colleges are already turning to fees to generate income, since they are under pressure to keep tuition low. If Temple were to freeze tuition, the fees would become outrageous.
If the students want to make college affordable, which I completely agree with, then they should focus on other ways of doing so. Campaigning for more need-based grants, as opposed to merit-based grants, which often go to students privileged enough to have had AP classes offered, would be a great start. Pushing Temple into a corner would not.
The second demand, that Temple open up some of its facilities to the public, is equally irrational and counterproductive. Supporting the community is a vital part of Temple’s purpose in North Philadelphia, but it should be done in other ways. Opening up employment to the local workforce is one. There could be mentor-mentee programs set up in local high schools, with a Temple student working with high school students to help them through a system that is not inclined to getting them into college.
However, the TECH Center is not an unlimited resource. How can we explain to a freshman, who will graduate with an average $27,000 in debt, who might not have a computer or laptop of his own, that he can’t work in the TECH Center right now because it is full, partially with the public? We, the students, are paying for this TECH Center. We are told that colleges have to keep raising prices in order to bring us such fine facilities. And now they are not being mostly reserved for us?
