Sponsored by the Graduate and Professional Student Federation, the forum originally was supposed to include some members of the Task Force on Tuition and the BOT.
But James Alstrum-Acevedo, an event organizer who served as the graduate student representative on the task force, said some officials who were invited to be on the panel ultimately could not come because of scheduling conflicts. Alstrum-Acevedo, Student Body President Justin Young and GPSF President Mikisha Brown led the discussion.
The forum was designed to give students a chance to speak out on the one-year, $400 tuition increase the task force has recommended, which will be presented to the BOT at its Thursday meeting. Under the draft of the proposal, part of a tuition increase would be targeted to help improve graduate student stipends.
First-year medical student Branson Page was concerned that students missed out on important information about the potential increase by not attending the forum. "I don't think that (students) realize what (a tuition increase) is going to do to them," Page said. "It kind of sucks this is all that's here."
Alstrum-Acevedo said the attendance was low because other students "either didn't want to come or were too busy." He also said that holding the forum at the School of Social Work on Pittsboro Street might have decreased the turnout for undergraduate students.
But Alstrum-Acevedo, Brown and Young used the opportunity to give the few students present information about the proposed increase. They also identified concerns related to the short timeline used in considering a tuition hike.
Alstrum-Acevedo said graduate students have less to worry about than undergraduates regarding a tuition increase because much of their tuition is covered by grants and funds within their departments. He said a proposed increase would affect professional students the most because they pay tuition themselves without much support from other sources.
While the dismal turnout concerned student leaders, they said they hoped more students would show up for a rally student government is planning for Thursday morning at the Old Well.
Alstrum-Acevedo said, "If (students) really feel strongly, then hopefully they will make their voice heard."
