Repeat fees hike to boost NUIG coffers by €200,000
The cost to students of NUI Galway who fail exams and have to repeat has increased by more than 50% this year.
Students repeating examinations this summer were hit with a €100 increase in repeat exams’ fees – the new rate is €295.
NUIG hopes to raise €200,000 from the measure.
The fees hike was fiercely resisted by student leaders but was agreed following a vote by Údarás na hOllscoile, the university’s governing authority, which is responsible for managing and controlling all affairs of NUIG.
The issue of increasing fees on repeat exams was divisive, and split the Governing Body.
According to minutes of the Governing Body’s December meeting, “strong views” were put forward for and against the fees increase.
“Exchanges were heated at times and the discussion often circulatory as both sides of the argument were explored,” the minutes record.
The minutes were released to the Galway City Tribune under Freedom of Information (FOI).
The President of the Students Union, who was then Phelim Kelly, was supported by some members when he said the “proposed increase in repeat examination fees was simply a revenue raising measure to take advantage of the misfortune of students”.
The university Bursar pointed out the projected income from repeat exams was about €200,000, which was “3% of the €7 million loss of income which the university was endeavouring to manage”.
Some members at the meeting said repeat exams “imposed a high administrative burden” on NUIG, and they “questioned whether the fees were high enough to incentivise examination pass rates.”
Cathaoirleach of the Governing Body, Catherine McGuinness, according to the minutes, said NUIG failure rates were “too high”, which was “due in part at least to some students not applying themselves to their study”.
Two members were “outraged” by this comment and repeated the view that the fee increase was “opportunistic and insensitive”.
The meeting was told that if the increase was not passed, they would have to find €200,000 “via other cuts”.
There was a “strong statement” from the An Meabhránaí (registrar) and Uachtarán Ionaid (deputy president), who said the university, “was not profiteering from students and that some students were strategically defaulting on their fees”.
A proposal was put to the meeting that the proposed fees increase be rejected. Ten members voted in favour and 17 voted against.
A subsequent motion to increase the fee by €100, bringing it to €295 was then passed. The motion included ‘free remission’ measures in the order of €100-€200 for disadvantaged students. Some 20 approved the motion and six voted against.
However, that was not the end of the matter and it was raised again at the following February meeting.
The SU President claimed the December minutes “omitted to make full reference to remarks made by An Cathaoirleach in relation to high examination failure rates”.
The secretary said the minutes captured the views expressed and that minutes were not supposed to be stenographic.
Mr Kelly said that he found the chairperson’s comments at the previous meeting, in relation to student failure rates, to be “personally distressing” and it was “not appropriate” for a chairperson to make those remarks.
The minutes were then altered to show: “One of the members who expressed outrage at the comment was of the view that the comment should not have been expressed”.
Under matters arising from the minutes, Mr Kelly referred to a letter he had received from the university Bursar relating to fees. The letter was “cold and stark”, he said.
“He stated he was being put in an invidious position with his membership,” the minutes state of student voice, Mr Kelly.
NUIG President, Jim Browne said he understood his point of view but the matter “had been decided and was therefore closed”.
Following a discussion, Mr Browne offered to meet with the Student Union Council to “appraise members” of the decision to increase repeat fees.
At a subsequent strategic planning committee meeting, Mr Kelly said it was “insulting” for him that he could not raise the issue of repeat fees on the Governing Body agenda.
He said students were “deeply unhappy with the increase in fees” and the Students Union would return to the issue after the Summer repeats are finished.