STUDENT AMENITIES FEE: [UPDATED 8.39PM] Form now available; details
Posted on January 27, 2012 by ED
UPDATE – 8.39PM: Form should be sorted now. Send Amentities Fee Feedback to SAF-Feedback@une.edu.au
An email has just gone to students regarding payment of the Student Amenities Fee, please note this form is currently not available. We’ll keep you up-to-date as we hear news.
Filed under: NEWS.
I think it’s time we all found common ground.
I blame middle management and the Government. I think you guys should too.
If you can’t beat us, join us.
/endthead.
First beer is on me
Yeah and I’ll take you guys on a tour of the grounds at sport UNE!
Time to start investigating on campus universities here in Canberra. At least that way it is actually possible for me to access some of the amenities I am forced to pay for.
@Harry. Totally with you on the blame the government side of things. I live in remote SA and see sweet FA for my taxes (no public transport, a few roads etc.) but I still pay them as I will pay my student amenities fee at UNE when I will never access their services. I take great offence at the “fuck the world, what do I get” tag that has been thrown out there. I also donate monthly to a number of charities that I hope I will never have to access but don’t want to see disappear due to lack of funds. Basically this student amenities fee is just the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. If this Gillard government stopped wasting money on useless schemes to appease the Greens and independents (insulation for an example) they might have some money to put towards those non-education based services at universities. At the risk of sounding cynical, I’m suprised UNE isn’t getting heaps of money seeing as it is in Tony Windsor’s seat and he and his independent mates have Julia eating out of their hands. Oh that’s right 80% of UNE’s clientele are external therefore probably don’t live in that seat. Aah, now it makes sense!
Good to see maturity and reasoned thinking still reign among the students at UNE. NOT!!
I think it would be fairer if UNE adopted a similar policy to other universities and at least had a reduced rate for external students. At another uni, you only have to pay $16 for every external unit. Whereas at UNE i will have to pay $175 – thats a big difference!
I’m digusted that as an external student I’m being asked to pay an amenities fee for amenities I do not use. I don’t even use the library except to print the readings for my units from the links in MY UNE, readings I print at my expense. I don’t even have to attend residential schools so I can’t understand how this ameneties fee will help me in anyway…I think it is extremely unfair of UNE to charge this fee to External students who rarely if ever use the ameneties offered by UNE.
@kylie
The government merely said universities MAY charge an amenities fee to cover the cost of amenities. Most other universities chose not to charge externals for amenities they don’t use. UNE stands alone in this decision.
I am very dissaponted that UNE has chosen to charge external students the student amenities fee. The University of Wollongong has provided students studying at the smaller campus’ such as Shoalhaven, Mossvale a discounted rate of 50% and those students have access to libraries, computer labs, career advisors and other student amenities. External students at UNE are not offered any services, the majority of intensive schools that I have attended I have had to pay a fee of approx $50 to cover incidentals and the majority of UNE services are closed during the intensive school period. I would really like to know where we can take our complaints further, possibly to the NSW Ombudsman. It would be appreciated if UNE could also respond (even a generic email) to all students or to those who provided feedback as to why they are going ahead with charging external students. I understand that UNE is currently the subject of an ICAC enquiry, for future transparency reasons I believe UNE should be disclosing a lot more information than is currently provided.
@Lauren – I believe UNE is being looked at by the ICAC but didn’t the uni refer the matter to the ICAC, I could be wrong but I seem to remember that.
Hi guys,
After following this for quite a while I have found it pretty disgraceful for the last 4 years to pay a similar level of fees to internal students when no offense guys but you get
1. lectures you can interact in- your questions are answered on the spot (generally)
2. Tutes- externals don’t get this- sometimes we get the questions but moodle isn’t the greatest conversation platform where you guys get great discussions ours take days to get where you get in 5 minutes.
prac time- in science you get we’ll say one prac each week which is a hell of alot easier to get your head around concepts than 4 days full on. You also have a better idea how to use equipment when you graduate- externals have no clue on how to use this stuff.
On the fee however I have to agree on the statements above- if you want these services get a job and pay for them. I couldn’t afford to study at all if I didn’t get a job before starting then work ridiculous hours to support myself. I don’t mind paying a reasonable fee- ie no more than 50 bucks unless it is going towards academic facilities as far as I am concerned it is wasted money due to services double up.
@Michael Rowe – either way ICAC is investigating the Campus Services Manager’s corrupt spending. The University should be providing more details on what feedback was submitted and provide a response to those answers and also clearly stating exactly how external students will be benefited from the fees, such as online career advice.
I know there are a large number of external students that work full time as well as study a full time load of 3 subjects, if those students can manage that amount of work load on-campus students should be more than capable of working a casual job.
Hi All,
I notice this morning a thing on the home page that the uni is sponsoring a rugby team- far rather see that money go elsewhere
@ Tom and Harry
Huh? I don’t think anyone said that the fee was spent on giving internals free child care or accommodation. Why do you state the obvious (that internals have to pay for food, child care, sports and accommodation)? Hardly a revelation.
My own opinion is that the fee is way over the top for externals who won’t benefit from any of the services that are funded by it. I can’t comment on value for money for internals as I don’t live in Armidale and am therefore largely ignorant of services likely to be accessed by people living either on campus or in the near vicinity.
While I’m very pleased to hear that some of you have found lecturers to be generous with their time and attention I can say that there is considerable variation in the quality of both the teaching and attitude of my Course Coordinators. However I digress so will now sign-off.
Seems that we have quite an anomaly with a significant number of universities acknowledging the differential in the return external, compared to internal, students receive for the fee paid.
Hopefully, UNE will review this matter and aim for a proportionate reflection of the levy according to its usage off and on campus.
Certainly, with UNE having a majority of students off campus, a clear statement should be made to inform them of the rationale for the UNE structuring of the fee.
Many of these comments leave me a little baffled. External students are offered support resources and there are a number of student amenities available outside of Armidale throughout NSW. These amenities provide internet access and support. Many of you say you don’t use the library. This is not the fault of the uni or the library. UNE provides the facility for you to use and it is your choice to use it or not. Many years ago I did attend uni and had to pay an amenities fee and the facilities offered to both on-campus and off-campus students were great. Since the removal of this fee I have noticed a decline in the services offered. While it might be a while before there is an increase in the services offered, I am sure that UNE will offer more services to off-campus students as they have the funds to do so. There is a discounted fee for off-campus students for those of you who haven’t checked.