This letter is addressed primarily to NIU graduate students. I am currently in the process of questioning the way our student fees are distributed. After getting my tuition bill a few weeks ago, I was shocked by the amount of student fees that I owe. I did a little investigating to discover where exactly my fee money goes. I found my answer at www.niu.edu/stuaff/studentlifepolicies/gradfee.shtml.

According to this site, as a graduate student I pay $11.94 per semester hour to “the university’s intercollegiate athletic programs for both men and women.” (By comparison, $1.63 goes toward the Graduate Colloquium Series.) After thinking about my years at NIU since 1998, I realized I have never attended one athletic event as a graduate student here. Yet, I’m paying $99 a semester for this.

I inquired about the possibility of “opting out” of this portion of my fee. A university official explained to me that I could not opt out because this money goes toward the benefit of the “community at large.” I do not accept this answer in this case. Though I can see this explanation as viable for the busing system, for example, athletics is not the same. I have also never used the buses but have no problem paying for this service. Some students need this service for their education. Athletics has no direct impact on my education as a graduate student.

My argument is pretty simple. First, as far as I know, graduate students may not participate in intercollegiate athletic programs. (I hope that someone will correct me if I am wrong about this.) Is it legal, then, to require us to pay this fee? Second, in my graduate school experience, class work has taken up much of my time. I have had little free time. Furthermore, I am not very interested in athletics, so I do not choose to spend this free time in that way. I know many people will find this unfortunate, but my interests are my interests, and I will not apologize for them.

I want everyone to understand that I am not downplaying the benefits of university athletics, nor am I in any way “anti-sports.” Many students can learn responsibility, team work and discipline by participating. I just want an option to respectfully “bow out” of this kind of activity. Many universities do have a system that gives students the option of paying for these events. Can we not accommodate graduate students in this way?

I am angry enough about this situation that I am working on investigating the legality of forcing graduate students to pay this athletic expense and/or getting the fee policy changed. I would like to get some feedback from other graduate students. If you have an opinion on this issue, please e-mail me at [email protected].

Angela Lahr

Graduate student, history