San Diego State University is mulling over a proposal that would require students to fund faculty hires, Campus Reform reported.
The university is asking students if they are willing to pay $200 to $500 per semester to hire new faculty as part of the proposed Student Success Fee, an increase in the student fees they pay already. The increase would be phased in over a four-year period beginning in fall 2014.
"This new fee will allow the University to hire additional tenure-track faculty and provide funds to the colleges for enhancing student success through expanded academic related programs," university officials said.
The university's Campus Fee Advisory Committee said the proposed Student Success Fee is necessary because of a reduction in state support.
"Students can't get the courses they need because there's less faculty teaching the courses," Josh Morse, chair of CFAC, told KPBS.org. "And that's what it all boils down to. We want to get more class sections so that our students can get the classes they need to graduate in a timely manner."
California Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing a $140 million boost to funding for the California state University system next year, however, San Diego State officials argue that it is not enough to make up for the 238 faculty members lost to budget cuts since 2008, KPBS.org, San Diego's public news outlet, reported.
The university projects that a $200 per semester fee would pay for 80 new faculty, while a $500 fee would add 200 positions.
The school will host 28 forums in February to ask students for their feedback on instituting the Student Success Fee. Their feedback will go to the CFAC. The committee will then report its findings to Elliot Hirshman, president of the university, who will make the final decision on any fee increase.
