Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, April 18, 1995                   TAG: 9504180133
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: KIMBERLY N. MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STUDENTS GET LESSON ON NEED TO PAY FEES

Yet it wasn't the 5 percent tuition increase that made students abandon their preparations for final exams Monday evening to grill the school's administration about next year's budget changes.

Instead, it was $310 in fees.

Starting next fall, there will be three new fees: a $35 annual parking fee, a $75 graduation fee for seniors, and a $200-per-semester surcharge for single dormitory rooms.

That got the attention of Michelle Poret, who lives in a single room, has a car and is graduating next year.

``Last year they said something about the single-room fee. Then two days ago I heard about the parking fee, and shortly after that the graduation fee. At that point, I was like, `All right. What's going on here?' It seemed like they were just bleeding us dry,'' Poret said.

But Richard Hemberger, vice president of business affairs, called the new fees a trade-off with users starting to pay for the services they choose.

``We're not struggling or cutting back ... or running deficits,'' Hemberger said. ``We're putting $900,000 more into scholarships and about half a million dollars into technology. We're moving ahead with the things that students are requesting.''

That $500,000 investment in technology will provide cable, computer hookups and phone connections in all dormitory rooms by 1996. But Hemberger warned that once the new technology is in place, it, too, will come at a cost - a technology fee.

For the 20-some students assembled at the forum, it was a welcome omen.

"The students were just shocked. I understand that they're experienced, and they know what they're doing. But when you hear the word `fee,' your fists clench. It scares you,'' said Stanley Meader, Student Government Association president.

When the administrators pieced together a preliminary budget that called for more scholarship and financial aid money, a merit-based pay increase for faculty, and a 5 percent tuition increase, they came up about $900,000 in the hole.

They dug themselves $500,000 out of the red by going through the budget requests line by line and trimming. They still came up short, however.

They came up with another $200,000 by letting five employees go, and eliminating unfilled positions from next year's budget. Four of the five employees who were laid off were support staff. The other person was a manager.

It's the first time the college has laid off employees in years, Hemberger said.

Mac Johnson, dean of students, said: ``We did not relish terminating positions. We're a tight community here. But we must continue to be viable, and continue to move ahead. ... We have to run leaner.''

It's a message that administrators have spent the past couple of weeks selling around campus, armed with transparencies showing the rising cost of education vs. a flat line of government contributions.

They started their campaign with support from the Student Government Association and the Parents Advisory Council.

``When we have an opportunity to explain what we've done, they generally understand,'' Hemberger said.

It worked Monday evening on Poret. After the meeting, she conceded that she understood and even agreed with most of their choices.

``For the goods I want, I should expect fees,'' Poret said.