Discontinuing the use of half of the computer labs on campus is not going to be as beneficial as first thought by the Office of Information Technology. All other options need to be explored before making a decision this drastic. I’m sure there are other ways to save on energy, because it is just a matter of someone taking the time to actually discover new intuitive ideas. Students all over campus depend heavily on the computer labs.
It’s not just for the convenience so that the students are able to check their e-mail or get on Facebook, as many may believe. There are a lot of students who do in fact have a real need for labs. I find myself using the labs more now than I did my freshman year. My main reason is because my printer broke last year. Since then, I honestly haven’t had the time or money to invest in buying a new one. I figured since I’m paying to attend this institution, I might as well get my money’s worth.
Some suggest students need to have laptops as a backup, which I don’t really agree with. It has even been rumored that laptops may become a requirement for all students to have in order to attend the University. But then who is going to pay for those laptops? OIT said adjustments can be made in the financial aid process so that laptops can be paid for. Well, where does that leave all students who don’t qualify for financial aid? I am included in that group. I have been denied financial aid for the last two years because my parents supposedly make too much money, but I haven’t seen the fruits of that labor. It’s bad enough that tuition has slowly gone up. The University is constantly charging students for new fees, most of which are considered miscellaneous.
How can students be assured that their money is being spent wisely? Just within the last year, new computers were bought and distributed throughout campus labs and now they might be taken away. Those computers obviously weren’t free. Our fees have been paying for them, and I find it very unsettling that the money may have been wasted when it could have been used toward energy conservation.
It’s even more disturbing that every time I need to use a computer, I have to wait. The labs on main campus are always full so what makes you think that things will get better if they are reduced by half? Yes, the economy is not in the best condition right now, but we have to make do with what we have. I know that there were several new routes added to the Wolfline at the start of the fall semester. Were those extra routes really needed? One of those includes the reverse shuttle. I’m almost positive that students found ways to get around campus before this route was created.
If adjustments are made in financial aid, who will benefit? As I said before, only certain people will qualify. Even if any student could receive aid or grants, there wouldn’t be enough money to go around considering there are more than 30,000 students attending the University.
There are some students who will not have a 3.5 GPA. Is that fair to those who don’t? I do agree that students who do excel in the classroom should be rewarded for their success, but then what about everyone else? A high GPA doesn’t mean they are high in character. The University has been taking away a lot of different things from students, but did they ever consider taking away from the staff?
We, as students, are bringing in all the revenue, no matter how you look at it; athletics, organizations, etc. Without students there would be no NCSU. That’s something that needs to be considered.
