Child development center fights for student fees

The Marshall University Child Development Academy may receive major and unwanted changes within the next year. 

The Child Development Academy provides an early childhood education program for children of Marshall students.

Members of the President's Advisory Committee on Student Activity Allocations informed the Child Development Academy last spring that members of the committee felt the academy did not use student fees appropriately.

 Members said the student fees allowed alumni, faculty and members of the community to utilize the academy, according to an e-mail sent to Academy Director Susan Miller. Members of the committee believed that because student fees help fund the academy that it should only be open to students currently enrolled in the university.

"Last year this was a big topic," said Sean Hornbuckle, student body president. "The committee did not feel the academy adequately met the needs of the students."

The academy receives $156,000 in student fees yearly in order to maintain the quality of education and care given to the children who attend, Miller said. The academy is also funded by alumni, community members and faculty who utilize the academy.

In the same e-mail sent to Miller last spring, the committee also said members do not believe the academy is an appropriate use of student fees because the students must pay a fee to be put on the waiting list.

"The students pay 50 percent of what anyone else pays for wait list fees and other fees incurred when signing up to attend the academy," Miller said. "They also pay a substantially less weekly fee while their child is attended over non-students."

The academy offers child care services for children six weeks to 5 years old. Currently the academy has 96 children in attendance.

It also serves as an asset to students who do not have children.

"The academy does not offer just child care to students," Miller said. "We have Marshall University students who come to the academy to participate in work studies, to be graduate assistants and to work on their capstone projects. Every resident going through pediatrics in the School of Medicine comes to the academy sometime during their studies." 

Children with parents who are students make up 65 percent of attendance, Miller said. This number fluctuates due to graduation and other factors.

"Whenever a spot opens up at the academy, I make sure to call every Marshall student on the waiting list that has a child in the age group that has opened up," Miller said. "Legally, I can only call the students with a child in that age group because we can only have a certain number of children each age at the academy. After calling all of the students and unsuccessfully finding a replacement, I will then begin to call community members."  

Most of the non-students using the academy are faculty, staff and alumni, Miller said. 

Chief of Staff Bill Bissett said it would be difficult to exclude members of the university family because they are not students.

 "Several concerns come to mind," Bissett said. "I would not want exclusivity to prevent a single parent from entering the work force. While serving our student body should always be our primary concern, we must also be sensitive to the other constituencies."

The academy might not able to function without student fees, or it would no longer be the quality it is today, Miller said. Even with student fees, private pay from the community constitutes three times as much as student fees on a monthly basis. It would be extremely difficult to only have one or the other.

Matt James, chief of staff for the Student Government Association, said he supports the academy and the work it accomplishes.

"I definitely think the Child Development Academy is something that benefits the Marshall community," James said. "These recommendations came to a close vote in the committee last spring. It was very hard to come to those decisions. I personally defend the academy. Their purpose is very important to the university."

The academy must submit a statement as to why it should receive student fees along with other organizations on campus by Feb. 19.

The committee is scheduled to meet Feb. 26 in a closed meeting. Members will then present this conclusion to President Stephen Kopp who will decide if the academy's funding will be frozen.

Ellen Kist can be contacted at kist@marshall.edu.