[UPDATE BELOW] Once historically-free Cooper Union has already riled students and alumni and sparked an investigation by the Attorney General's office over their decision to charge tuition, citing an "unavoidable" financial crisis that many suspect is due in part to mismanagement. Now, the school is reportedly charging students for overloading on credits, a move students say encroaches on Cooper Union's academically-driven nature and deepens the already widening chasm between rich and poor.
According to an email from School of Engineering Dean Teresa Dahlberg posted to the Save Cooper Union Facebook group, the Board of Trustees approved new tuition rates at a meeting earlier this month. Among other changes, students will be charged for taking more than 19.5 credits per semester; they will also be charged for taking courses over the summer.
Cooper Union requires students have 135 credits total to graduate. Harrison Cullen, a senior at the Engineering School and one of heads of Student Council, says 19.5 credits covers the heaviest required course load for an engineering student, noting that students will usually take about 18 to 20 credits per semester. Currently, a credit "overload" clocks in at 21 credits; according to Cullen, it's not uncommon for students, particularly those looking to get a jump-start on their masters credits, to take advantage of adding extra courses. "Most students have done it at least once. One student who recently graduated took 26 credits one semester," he told us. "That's been a big part of the culture at Cooper, that as long as you can handle it, you should take the classes that you can."
It's unclear how much the university plans to charge for extra courses. Currently, freshmen pay a "half-tuition" fee of $20K per year, and Cullen hypothesizes that summer courses, at least, will cost students anywhere between $1200 and $2100 per credit. "The clearest issue here is that this draws a line of class through the student body," Cullen said. "There's a large number of people who want to overload. It would be very advantageous of them to overload once." Indeed, according to Dean Dahlberg's email, students say the ability to take on a heavy course load is one of Cooper Union's standout points:
My intent has been to enable students to be able to complete about 150 credits over eight semesters, if they choose, to enable them to get a good start on their masters degree, without an extra credit charge. I was trying to strike a balance between three things: 1) The institution’s need to be cost-efficient, 2) Students who tell me they love the “all you can eat” atmosphere at Cooper in regards to course taking, and 3) Faculty from engineering and HSS who have concerns about students taking “too many” credits in a single semester.
The student body is circulating a petition demanding the administration reverse any decision to charge for a credit overload and arguing that a credit cap further abases the school's academic standing, a concern initially raised when the university began charging tuition. "The sheer inaneness of charging students to try their best academically, capping them a mere half credit from their requirements, has no reasonable justification, economic or otherwise," the petition reads. "Students have no impetus to strive for excellence when it can only be attained through increasing costs. We have adapted enough."
The university told us they have not yet made an announcement regarding an overload charge, despite Dahlberg's email to students. Spokesperson Justin Harmon told us that "[t]he board has acted to authorize updates to tuition and fees. However, the administration is working through some questions regarding implementation that could affect the way students experience any changes."
Update 4/1/15: After uproar from the student body, Cooper Union is pulling back its plan to charge tuition for credit overloads. Per an email to the community from Bill Mea, the Vice President for Finance & Administration:
Having seen yesterday's reaction to the overload charge, I can say that I am still learning about the culture of Cooper Union. I value our unique character and I wish to honor it.
Accordingly, after consultation with President Bharucha and the Board of Trustees, we will not implement an overload charge for 2015-2016. This is certainly not the time to implement such a policy, and it may never be the right time to do so. I cannot promise that this will never be implemented, since such policies can help refine the balance between actual course enrollments and the resources needed to accommodate them. But if such a policy change is considered in the future, I will ensure all affected constituencies are included in that conversation.
