VOL. NO.
21
NEWS
THE NANYANG
08 CHRONICLE
05
Forking out more for exchange Students heading to UCLA for exchange will soon have to pay more on top of their school fees to NTU Adeline Tan
T
he University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will join Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) and University of Melbourne (UniMelb) as co-paying schools in the GEM Explorer lineup for the next academic year. Under the co-payment scheme, students will have to fork out an additional sum — 15 per cent of the host university’s tuition fee, with NTU paying the balance. This scheme has been in practice for GIT since 2005, according to Pauline Ho, Deputy Director (Partnerships, Forecasts, Marketing and Incoming Students) of the GEM Trailblazer Exchange Team. This means that students heading to UCLA via the Study Abroad Foundation in GEM Explorer will have to pay an additional US$1,705 (S$2,314). In comparison, students heading to UniMelb will have to pay AU$1,700 (S$1,805). Usually, students who sign up for exchange through the GEM Explorer programme will only pay NTU's regular school fees without any extra payment. Ms Ho said that the co-payment scheme meant more opportunities for students to pursue exchange opportunities in the schools. She added: “NTU bought extra semester immersion spots at negotiated
student fees, so that more students can go to the United States for exchange programmes.” However, she did point out that this scheme is currently under review. With “a good list of worldwide partners and well ranked ones”, Ms Ho said that the university has sufficient exchange partners that do not require additional tuition fees for NTU students to choose from. Ms Ho added that the copayment helps in preventing the abuse of exchange spots, citing incidents of students skipping classes, failing exams and missing quizzes while on exchange. But students like Duong Nghiep Khoan, 21, a second-year student from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences who will be going to GIT on exchange next year, disagreed. Duong said: “Academics are always my priority, regardless of any changes in the tuition fees.” While the scheme has yet to see implementation, the introduction of the additional fees would have prompted a rethink of decision for Kenneth Chan, 23, who is heading to UCLA next month. The second-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information noted that the current three-month UCLA exchange programme is relatively shorter than programmes in other universities. With certain schools (such as the UCLA film school) remaining unavailable to NTU students, Chan revealed that these limitations, coupled with the additional costs would have made him consider the possibility of other options.
ADDITIONAL FEES: Students looking to head to UCLA (above) for exchange will have to co-pay tuition fees from the next academic year, with the university becoming one of the three institutes under the co-payment scheme. PHOTO: INTERNET
Feeling the pinch
While most students the Nanyang Chronicle spoke to were concerned about the costs arising from the copayment scheme, there were some who were more ambivalent about the issue. Sun Zhong Ji, 24, a finalyear student from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), paid S$2,700 in tuition fees as part of the copayment scheme when he went for his exchange at GIT in 2013. He had no regrets about the decision. “Personally, I enjoyed my experience very much. “Travelling around was also a
great experience, and I got to meet new people and understand new cultures,” he recounted. “Probably, the only thing I was hoping was that the school fees could be cheaper for Georgia Tech.” For Smrithi Keerthivarman, 21, a second-year student from MAE who will be going for her exchange at GIT next year, the co-payment did not prove to be a deterrent, due to the attraction of the university’s stellar academic reputation. Smrithi added: “I would, however, expect this payment to translate into guaranteed accommodation, more flexibility in terms of module choice and timetabling as well as
increased welfare for NTU students at GIT.” The additional cost has nevertheless posed a potential problem to some, such as Lydia Lee, a first-year-student from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Lee is still currently deliberating about her choice of university for exchange. The 19-year-old said: “I would try to choose universities outside of those which require the additional 15 per cent in tuition fees. “With the high cost of living overseas, the amount of money spent during exchange is likely to be quite hefty already.”
Quad staircase to reopen next month Karl Lim THE staircase leading to The Quad Café will soon reopen for public use at the end of March, after a sixmonth closure. Located at the School of Biological Sciences (SBS), the staircase has been closed since last September after students highlighted concerns about the safety hazard it posed during wet weather. An NTU spokesperson said: “Following feedback about wet conditions during the rainy season (last year), the outdoor staircase at the Quad was temporarily closed as a precaution while a review was carried out. “Although there were no reported cases of injuries at the staircase last year, the university is replacing the current flooring with anti-slip tiles. “Together with the existing handrails, this will enhance the safety for users.” However, the Nanyang Chronicle understands that prior to the closure of the staircase, there had been incidents of students falling
SLIPPERY STEPS: The staircase leading to the eatery has been closed for the past six months due to safety concerns. PHOTO: CHARISSE ONG
and sustaining injuries due to the slippery tiles during wet weather. “It was drizzling and as I was walking down the staircase, I slipped and fell on my back. I got a bruise near my tailbone
and my lower back was sore following the incident,” said Lee Qing, a first-year SBS student. “It took me a week to fully recover,” added the 19-year-old. Germain Kwek, a first-year stu-
dent from the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, was another casualty who fell in September last year. The 19-year-old said: “I tried holding on to the handrails but the
tiles were too slippery. I slipped and slid two steps down. “I also saw a girl fall beside me and she literally slid down half the length of the stairs.” Currently, students have to use a longer route within SBS to patronise the café. However, there have still been incidents of students losing their balance at another staircase within the SBS building on their way to The Quad Café. Kwek suggested: “While renovation at the outdoor staircase is ongoing, I think anti-slip mats could be placed at at the indoor staircase as a safety precaution in the event of wet conditions.” Students were not the only ones who were inconvenienced by the closure of the staircase. One of the dishwashers working at the café, who only wanted to be named as Mr Wu, said that the closure of the staircase has made it inconvenient for him to make the daily trip to his workplace. “I hope the management does something to make the café more accessible, especially for elderly folk like me,” he added.