Bottom line: students win

For too long, students had to pay the price for dropping a class. The college has decided to give students the power to shop for classes like a consumer without losing money. A great move.

Many classes listed in Metroâs Schedule of Classes have ăstaffä under the instructor heading. When the identity of the instructor is revealed some students realize on the first day of classes that they donât like the professor, donât like the class or just canât fit the class into their schedule. But this realization costs money.

In spring 1998, Metroâs policy will be to give a full refund for classes dropped within seven days of the start of a semester. There will be no $50 withdrawal fee, and students will be ensured a full refund for the class and any fees.

The college might lose up to $40,000 per year with the new policy but is willing to risk the loss to keep students who might look to spend their tuition dollars at a school with a friendlier refund policy.

The school gets some 100 tuition appeals each semester from disgruntled customers tired of being penalized for exercising rights students at other schools donât have to pay for. And risking the loss of 100 students would cost far more than the $40,000 it will cost to do the right thing.

Before the administration has a chance to tout its enlightened new policy and pat itself on the back, realize that it was, as always, a business decision.

ăMy guidelines (in creating this policy) were to try to keep as much of the revenues to the school as I could,ä said

Tim Greene, associate vice president of Human Resources and Finance.

As with any solid business decision, the bottom line is all that matters.

 It just so happens that for once, this bottom line also will help students.