Journalism Course Fees to Go Into Effect Summer 2005

To ensure that the journalism department can continue to provide a high-quality, professional-level education for its students, the department began charging fees for courses using instructional technology.

The fees went into effect starting with Summer Pre-session. They range from $27 for Journalism 205 to $50 for the senior capstone courses that produce the Tombstone Epitaph, El Independiente and Cat's Eye. A complete list of fees can be found at http://www.registrar.arizona.edu/schedules/specialfee/jourfee.htm.

The fees were endorsed by the faculty and approved by the University Fees Committee. They will be added automatically to the bills that students receive each semester from the Bursar's Office. Students with financial need can apply to the department for a scholarship to cover the fees.

The fees go toward maintaining and upgrading the journalism department's instructional technology, and for supplies such as paper and toner. Each fee is based on a very detailed analysis of the actual cost of each class. Some classes Š such as the senior capstone courses Š cost the department far more than fees cover. For example, Journalism 480, Reporting for Broadcast News, costs the department more than $400 per student.

The department delayed in instituting fees. The Arizona State University journalism program requested fees for television news classes in 2000 and other journalism laboratory classes in 2001.

The department's operating budget, which is $37,734 per year, doesnÕt cover the costs of the instructional hardware and software used in classes. Soaring undergraduate enrollment during the past five years has compelled the department to expand instructional facilities and the number of courses we offer at a very rapid rate. In fall 1999, the department had fewer than 300 majors; it now has more than 600.

Questions about the fees may be directed to senior undergraduate advisor Paul Johnson or department head Jacqueline Sharkey.

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