The recent announcement of changes in registration, most notably the new $100 fine for late registration, comes at quite possibly the worst time for students.
Announced just days before the registratioin period for spring 2001 began, this act places an additional burden on a group already made the whipping boy of the state legislature.
After hearing more sense in a cacophony of car horns than the reasoned presentation of financial reality by both the governor and academic officials, the General Assembly decided not to address the budget shortfall that is wracking the ability of state universities to function.
In the months since the state decided no action was the best action, TBR suprtised no one when they announced tuition would increase by 10 percent for the 2001-02 academic year.
The trend that has students carrying more of the burden for education across the board continues at full force for Tennessee Board of Regents students.
This in a time in which a college education is becoming increasingly paramount to a person’s chance for success in this country. A high school diploma simply won’t do in a growing number of cases.
So, to pay for more education, students already have to dip into their own pockets.
Since real wages, or average earnings weighed against the average price of goods and services, haven’t increased in more than two decades, working class Mom and Dad aren’t going to be reliable sources for the tens of thousands of dollars needed.
Of course, high school graduates don’t exactly have that kind of money lying around either.
So, many of them have to take out loans. To offset a few months of the years the student will spend working in a post-graduate career mostly to pay back the loans before he or she gets out of debt, a part-time job while on campus is often the resort.
This is especially true in Johnson City, which likely has more students waiting tables per capita than Los Angeles has out-of-work actors doing the same thing.
Nowadays at ETSU, the part-time side job has in many cases become a full-time 40-hour-a-week commitment.
The concept of a full-time job is entirely at odds with the idea of receiving an education.
In light of this plight, the university has decided to impose a $100 late fee to students who register for a class later than Jan. 5.
The stated intention of encouraging students to register early so the education process can begin on the first day of class is right. However, the method by which this intention is being implemented is wrong.
The worst way to encourage students to action is to threaten them with a fine. It makes no sense whatsoever to draw another $100 from a group thousands of dollars in debt that often has to work and study a combined 80 hours a week just to survive.
Perhaps grade encumberance would be a better idea. Nearly any motivation would be more effective than one that taps an empty well.
Nor does it seem logical to begin mass-dissemination of this policy so soon before it takes effect.
The volume of mailers, professorial admonishments and messages on Goldlink do make up for the lack of time those not privy to advance information had to deal with this bombshell.
The administration can be credited for a good idea, but can’t be excused for the worst of timing, especially since timing is the gist of their policy.

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