Lab Fees
Students enrolled in EP/CD LAB courses have a $100 lab fee per course added to their tuition bills. (EP/CD LEC courses have a $30 fee.) These fees support the purchase of consumable supplies, special tools and instruments, computer hardware and software, and instructional support items. The recent increase allows for a buget that will ensure that no computer in the labs will be more than three years old.
Without lab fees, these courses would not exist. The University does not provide the department with complete funding to fulfill our specialized requirements. We must rely on our students for the necessary support.
In the interest of fairness, all students enrolled in each lab fee paying course are entitled to equal access to facilities, supplies and equipment, in class and during open lab times. Additionally, all students benefit from the instructional materials provided to faculty and support staff, from the use of A/V presentation equipment, and from the department's Web and file server, all of which are funded in part by lab fees.
Even though a student may choose not to use the labs — perhaps
because of access to equipment elsewhere — lab fees must be paid
by all students to equally support the courses. Consequently, lab fee
waivers can be issued only in rare circumstances, such as in exchange
for lab monitoring or upon withdrawal from a course (in which case the
student must request a refund from the VS office.)
