I'm Just Sayin...

By Adelaja Obajimi, Editor in Chief

As we begin the new semester, one troubling issue on my mind is the lack of certain campus amenities, specifically “hang out spots” for students. There’s no doubt Prince George’s Community College has made a name for itself as one of the best community colleges in Maryland. Unfortunately, it’s also made a name for itself as “13th grade Largo University.” It’s a nickname meant to poke fun at the unbelievably high number of immature high school graduates that flood the hallways and disturb foot traffic every semester, especially during the first two weeks of class. On any day of the week, you can walk by the cafeteria or the printing office around 12:30 p.m. and watch the campus police officers force rowdy people to leave the building.

The Hollow tree, located in the Largo Student Center right next to the Office of College Life Services was provided to address just such a problem. So why would anyone pick a somewhat narrow hallway without chairs to hangout instead of the Hollow Tree, with its comfortable seating, television, massive space and vending machines? The answer is pretty simple. Rather than sit in a secluded room away from the “action,” people want to be where it’s all happening. Here’s a suggestion that might work. Maybe PGCC could expand Bladen Hall and create a new hang out spot in the hallway across from the printing office. With a good wireless internet connection in a coffee house setting like Starbucks, maybe people would stop hanging out in the hallways leering as girls pass by.

All colleges add value to the community they represent by enriching the minds of the scholars that pass through it. Enrichment comes not just through academic excellence, but also through other social opportunities and interactions provided on campus. Looking around at some of the amenities we lack here in PGCC, one wonders if it’s all part of some deliberate structural arrangement of the school, or maybe PGCC is just lacking behind other academic institutions in some areas. A school as prestigious as ours should have an open gym, faster, more reliable campus-wide Wi-Fi access, some type of boarding would be nice, and not one, but a couple of themed hang-out spots that help scholars relax, interact and develop minds and ideas. PG really needs to pick up the pace...I’m just saying.

PGCC Instructional Service Fees Going Up Next Fall

By Stephen K. Cooper

Students attending Prince George’s Community College next fall may have to dig a little deeper into their wallets to afford a higher education. The PGCC board of directors, at its early December meeting, unanimously approved a $95.9 million budget for fiscal year 2010 that includes a $1.5 million hike in instructional service fees for students beginning with the Fall 2010 semester.

PGCC Vice President for Administration and Finance Thomas E. Knapp said the fee increase will boost the college’s spending on student clubs and activities as well as the inter-collegiate student athletic programs. It will also help meet the college’s general expenses, he said.

PGCC’s move to higher instructional fees comes at a time when many colleges across the nation are facing a choice of boosting tuition rates or cutting teaching staff to make financial ends meet during the recession. Although tuition rates are not currently set to increase at PGCC, the college’s budget won’t be finalized until June when the Prince George’s County Council and the Maryland state legislature decide on funding levels.

Knapp called the proposed fee increase fair, and said that students are getting a quality education at an affordable price compared to other local colleges. “Certainly, we remain incredibly less expensive than any of our four year institutions. I think we provide every bit as good instruction as they do, or better, and yet we’re a cheaper price than they are,” Knapp said. “I don’t believe there’s another community college in the state that’s better than we are.”

Student reaction to the proposed fee increase was intensely critical. Chris Monroe, a second year sociology major, said the college already makes enough money and did not need to raise fees. Donele Smith, a second year business and accounting major, said PGCC should keep prices at a minimum so that students can afford to come to school and get an education.

“This will affect me personally because my dad is paying out of pocket,” said Crystal Lindo, a first year general education major. She suggested that if the athletic department really needs money for student teams that they should try fundraising activities rather than raising fees on students.

The proposed $1.5 million increase in instructional fees would be imposed under a new structure. Under the current instructional services fee structure, students either pay $27 (Level 1), $32 (Level II) or $37 (Level III) per credit hour based on the type of class in which they are enrolled. Students are also required to pay a $1 per credit student activity fee, up to a maximum of $15 per semester. For a three credit, Level I class, a student would pay $288 in class tuition, a $25 registration fee, a $3 student activity fee, and an $81 instructional services fee. As a result, the total cost of a three credit class is $397.

Beginning next fall, the college wants to eliminate the three-tiered instructional service fee and the $1 student activity fee and replace them with a flat fee of $38 per credit for all students, except senior citizens and those retired early on disability. The result will be that for the same three credit course, the total bill would be $427, or an additional $33 per class.

Put another way, for a student enrolled in 15 credits of Level 1 classes, the total bill is approximately $1985 for one semester. Under the new system, the same student would pay $2,135, or an additional $150 per semester.

Knapp said that most PGCC students are enrolled in Level II and Level III classes, so their instructional fees will only be increasing by roughly $6 per credit, or an additional $90 per semester for 15 credits.

Reports of Alleged Lewd Conduct Rock Campus Christian Club

By Adelaja Obajimi

Last semester, around mid-to-late November, two students were caught by a third student allegedly engaging in inappropriate sexual acts in the office space assigned to the Bethel Campus Fellowship (BCF) in Largo Student Center. An eyewitness, who asked to remain anonymous, reportedly heard strange noises coming from the student club and peeped over the office’s wooden wall only to find two people being sexually inappropriate.

The eyewitness immediately notified the College Life Services Office (CLS), which oversees all campus clubs. According to CLS Program Director Paulett McIntosh, a staff member from her office was sent to investigate. When the staff member arrived, the occupants of the room denied any wrongdoing, the eyewitness said. The students claimed they were not BCF members, but somehow they had access to the office.

Seun Adebambo, BCF President, said the alleged incident gave the club a bad image because it happened in the group’s office, but he maintained that the perpetrators were not actual members of the club. He said one student was a BCF member, and the other two, who were allegedly engaged in the inappropriate behavior, were guests. Regardless, the club still met its goal last semester of holding a program to show people how to be successful using Biblical principles, Adebambo said.

The incident occurred even after a new civility campaign was launched by CLS at the beginning of the Fall 2009 semester to reduce a lot of the irresponsible behavior exhibited by students on campus. The ongoing civility campaign is intended to address ill-mannered behavior exhibited in noisy computer rooms, crowded hallways and, of course, the college’s noisy and rowdy cafeteria. The aim of the civility campaign is to have students pledge to help keep order in the school by policing one another.

The incident also marks the second time in the same semester that a student club has come under scrutiny. In September, members of the Music Department faculty decided not to organize the student Concert Club, thereby forgoing funding from CLS.
As the Spring 2010 semester began, CLS posted several signs near the student club offices in Largo Student Center that read, in part, “spooning leads to forking” and reminded students of the rules for acceptable behavior.

When asked about the BCF incident, McIntosh confirmed that students of another campus organization informed CLS “that there were some students in the BCF office acting inappropriately and (it) was of a sexual nature.” She said that the CLS staff member sent to investigate the incident did not witness anything, but saw students leave the office.

McIntosh said she and Dean of College Life Services Dr. Yvette Galloway met with the BCF faculty advisor and Adebambo to discuss the incident. Moreover, she also stated that this was the second incident in which alleged, non-members of BCF were engaging in inappropriate behavior, although the first was not sexual.

“The club members are responsible for the office space. It’s a privilege to (use) the office space because not all clubs get an office space,” said McIntosh. “We felt that they did not need the space anymore, so we put the organization on probation and took away their office space.”

Adebambo said BCF is still active and has submitted the appropriate paperwork to CLS to be recognized as an official club this semester. In fact, the group is planning to hold two events, including the Gethsemane Experience, which is a Christian revival, and a Day of Prayer for PGCC. “We have not been told that the incident will have an impact on whether the club can operate this semester,” he said.

Adebambo said the lack of space will not deter the club from meeting its mission of leading students to Christ and preparing them to be reliable men and women who can be trusted with His word.

PGCC, Higher One, Inc., Unveil New Student Debit Cards

By Tia L.S. Holmes

Prince George’s Community College has begun distributing new student debit cards this semester in order to speed refunds of financial aid money or tuition overpayments, but careless use of the new cards could cause extra fees and charges. The college has partnered with Higher One, Inc. of New Haven, Conn., to disburse refunds to the college’s 14,000 students through FDIC-insured Higher One bank accounts and new PGCC Owl Debit cards.

In order to get the quickest refund, students should first make sure they have activated their new PGCC Owl Debit Cards as soon as they arrive in the mail, said PGCC Student Accounting Specialist James Devenney. About 3,000 students should have already received their cards and logged on to http://www.pgccowldebitcard.com/ to manage their accounts.

PGCC will experience great savings in time and money by instituting the use of the new banking accounts and debit cards, he said. The previous process for the school was to send paper checks for refunds of class payments and for rebates of student financial aid overages. This process was costing the school thousands of dollars in printing and postage owing to incorrect student addresses to which they would mail checks then re-mail, once returned.

With the new Higher One account, students will now be able to access rebates with their PGCC Owl Debit Card in as little as 24 hours after financial aid becomes available to PGCC. Devenney predicted that refunds will be available as early as February 8th, after the add/drop class period.

If classes were paid for with a credit card, then students should expect to see those charges back on that card, not in the Higher One account, Devenney said. For students who do not wish to use the Owl Debit Card, the Higher One website does provide the option to wire-transfer funds to other personal checking accounts. Choosing not to activate the account will result in the mailing of a check 21 days after Higher One does not receive a request for activation.

Student Jennifer Fair sees the use of the card as a benefit based on her past experiences with waiting for refunds. She also admitted that she did not do research on the card, but that she would before using it.

The Higher One bank accounts operate as any other checking account, minus the minimum balance requirement and monthly checking account fees; however, other banking fees apply, some unexpectedly. Among the most egregious fees are the Abandoned Account Fee ($19.00) and the Lack of Documentation Fee ($50.00).

Higher One ATM machines are already being installed around the campus to dispense cash. Using any non-Higher One ATM will cost $2.00 per transaction, including buying gas, food, clothes shopping or any other transaction that requires a pin number.
The best advice given to avoid fees is to always use the PGCC Owl Debit Card as a credit card; remember to always swipe and sign wherever MasterCard® is accepted. Buying on credit is fee-free with the exception of online bill paying; for free online bill transactions, you must maintain a $1,000 balance or sign up for direct deposit pay.

To ensure benefit from the Easy Refundsm system, verify your address with the college and the U.S. Postal Service and read the fee schedule and account usage information provided on the Web site, before signing up.

More information is available at www.PGCCowldebitcard.com and http://www.higherone.com/.