Columbia University students who pay an eye-watering $89,000 in tuition are not getting their money’s worth now that the campus is closed due to ongoing protests and riots. claims.
Early Tuesday morning, the university announced that all students who do not live in on-site dormitories will be prohibited from entering the campus.
As a part-time student myself, I was furious when I showed up on campus on a Tuesday afternoon, swiped my ID card, and set off the alarm. Despite paying tuition at Columbia University, he is prohibited from using campus property.
I feel like students like me are being punished for the actions of a few who break the rules.
The move comes after pro-Palestinian student demonstrators stormed and forcibly occupied Hamilton Hall on Tuesday morning after being told to abandon their encampment in the “liberated zone” or face suspension. I was disappointed.
Avi Weinberg, a Jewish student who did not take part in the protests, said the situation makes her feel “afraid.” he Paused.
“They put the campus on lockdown and basically suspended all of the students for the actions of probably 100 kids who are currently on campus,” the 25-year-old senior told the Post. “The only people who have access at the moment are kids who are breaking the rules.
Weinberg, who is studying economics, added, “As a student at Columbia University, I want to make sure that every student has access to all the resources and all the spaces that they should be allowed access to.” “And this protest has left students unable to move freely on campus.”
And it’s happening just as students are preparing for final exams starting Friday and the end of the school year.
“I live in a small apartment off campus, and it’s difficult to study in an apartment,” Weinberg said. “I look forward to going to the library to study and prepare for interviews and school assignments. I’m currently job-hunting, so I’m really disappointed that that space is gone.”
Chaya Droznik, a 22-year-old junior studying computer science, lives close to her school and relies heavily on campus resources such as the cafeteria, gym, and study space in the library.
“I can’t exercise like I usually do. I can’t eat like I usually do. I can’t study like I usually do,” she said. “I feel like I paid something and I’m not getting it. Of course I want my money back.”
Other students told The Post’s Jack Morphett and Emily Crane that they are missing out on the rest of their dining plan, which is worth about $18 a meal.
“We are low-income students, and we rely on Columbia Dining Services for meals, especially during the semester,” said Taylor Francisco, 26. “I just want to eat to keep my brain going while I work.”
Anthony Rispo, a 34-year-old psychology student, agrees that schools are failing students.
“I feel like I’m not getting my money’s worth at all when it comes to access to campus,” he told the Post. “And today, when I was told not to come to campus at all, I felt really disrespected.”
Rispo, who commutes from Putnam County, relies on campus library space to get his work done, and he says not having access to the library during final exam week is especially detrimental to his education.
“The protests really disrupted things and created a distraction from year-end preparations,” he explained. “It’s final season, and if it wasn’t for this, I would have been on campus forever. But I can’t do that right now.”
Droznik is also furious that her tuition money is being used to pay the salaries of teachers participating in the protests.
“Faculty and staff are responding to protesters blocking the entrance to the camp, and while they are threatening us on campus and preventing us from moving freely, my tuition is being taken away from them. It’s disappearing into my paycheck,” she said.
Weinberg, who is scheduled to graduate next month, is concerned that the ceremony may not take place, estimating a 75% chance that it will be interrupted, but the protests have made the value of his Columbia degree less valuable. states that it has decreased.
“The school has lost its foundation, and I don’t even know how it’s going to recover from that,” Weinberg said.
According to Rispo, the solution is simple. Universities must refund a portion of students’ money for lost time and access.
“At this point, I think it’s fair for universities to prorate tuition,” he says. “Access to our schools is being hindered and financial adjustments are absolutely necessary.”
I certainly feel the same way. My first semester at Columbia University was derailed by tension and hostility on campus. And now you can’t even access campus at all.
Additional reporting by Jack Morphet and Emily Crane
