By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Bowling Green State University has spelled out its refund policy for students.
In a statement to students Monday, the university said that coming up with the policy has been a priority.
“We recognize the uncertainty that BGSU students and families are facing and want to ensure that we are providing an emergency grant equaling a refund to students whose housing, dining and parking have been disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic,” according to the statement, which was signed by President Rodney Rogers and Chief Financial Officer Sheri Stoll.
None of this will affect students’ financial aid packages. Each refund settlement will be calculated for each individual student.
Reached this morning, Stoll went through the package.
Students will be refunded for any swipes not used on their BG1 cards.
For housing the university will refund for the last half of the semester, as delineated by the Wednesday (March 19) during spring break.
The exception will be those 90-95 students who were allowed to return to live on campus.
The same prorated calculation will be made to refund parking fees.
Students will still pay the entirety of tuition and general fees, she said.
Most of what is covered by those fees, including athletics has already transpired.
And because students are still receiving instruction, albeit online, and will receive full credit for courses, tuition will still be collected in full.
“It is not ideal to make this switch in the middle of the semester,” Stoll said.
“Essentially we want the same quality of academic delivery to continue just in a remote delivery model. I think we have excellent faculty. Most of them are going to make this adjustment well.”
This is being monitored at least daily by administrators and support team, and “it seems to be going as well as possible. I’m sure there are instances where there’ve been hiccups.”
Staff members in Information Technology Services are working extended hours, she said
“The thing we absolutely don’t want to happen is students falling behind and experiencing a lost semester. That would be tragic. We have students getting ready to graduate and making good progress. We want to do everything possible to make sure that does not stop.”
To that end, she said, the university beefed up its contacts with students.
It’s shifted people in student affairs, advising, career center, and some personnel from university advancement, to do more one-on-one support, one-on-one tutoring with students.
“We are trying to make sure that every single student gets a human contact at least once a week and ideally several times from a variety of offices so we can triage if we think they need additional tutoring, emotional support from counseling, or help from learning commons. Just so they know there are other adults out there to help them navigate, to help them access things they need.”
The refunds, Stoll said, will cost BGSU $15 million to $15.5 million.
While there may be some savings, those are hard to calculate. “I don’t think there’s a ton of operating savings.”
The university has also incurred more expenses. It had to ramp up its technology, including expanding the number of people served through software licensing agreements, refurbishing a number of laptops and making sure the technology to deliver remote lectures is functioning.
“I will admit at the moment we’re much more focused on sorting through refund details and getting faculty and students set up for remote learning and remote working, which has happened almost simultaneously.”
She estimated a couple hundred employees are still spending at least part of their days on campus.
That includes some administrators, food service workers at Carillon and the attached convenience store, and Dunkin’ Donuts, as well as public safety personnel.
