Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1:30 p.m.: “It’s tuition on top of tuition,” said a biology professor today in a special meeting called to discuss a resolution fated for Faculty Senate approval.

These disgruntled biologists were trying to decide whether to read a letter during the Faculty Senate meeting expressing their dissent on the issue of a resolution concerning lab fees for students.

The resolution would allow departments to assess lab fees at their discretion to cover costs of equipment and other expenses.

The Biology Department had two major issues with the resolution. It would put undue financial stress on students—especially those in the science majors—and that not levying lab fees would possibly adversely affect their departmental operating budget.

According to the Biology Department, their enrollment has increased by 254 percent, while their starting operational budget has only increased by 3 percent.

1:45 p.m.: “There’s plenty of money around, it’s just not going to academics,” said Randy Cate, biology professor.

The professors were concerned if they set their lab fees to zero, which they intend to do, that they would not receive the budget they asked for. The biology professors were worried the administration could argue that their budget should not be increased to cover more lab expenses as the department could simply assess fees to cover any new expenses.

“The reason I’m doing this is so people don’t think we’re a bunch of hard-asses and that we really care,” Cates said.

2:02 p.m.: the biology professors voted unanimously to send the letter.

3:15 p.m.: the Faculty Senate gathers in the University Center legislative chambers.

The Faculty Senate was joined by state Representatives Mark Maddox and Chris Crider, who addressed the senate on issues of higher education and were questioned about professor salaries in Tennessee and an apparent disparity between UTM and UT Knoxville professor salaries.

4:23 p.m.: the resolution is brought to the floor. The Biology Department’s letter is read, eliciting a few nods from senators. After debate, the majority of professors expressed agreement in principle with the Biology Department, but backed the resolution, rationalizing if their operating budget was not able to provide a quality education to students, then they should not have to wait around for budget approval to acquire funds.

Dwight Gatwood, a music professor, expressed that most other universities have similar fees for lab courses.

Other senators pointed out that among students surveyed, most approved of or were indifferent to lab fees, provided they only be spent to help students. The Biology Department did not elect to conduct scientific surveys, but rather, a few professors asked members of their classes. Their results were generally the opposite, they said.

4:30 p.m.: the resolution passes nearly unanimously, save for the dissenting biology senators.

Students should not be too worried, though. The fees suggested in the more scientific surveys were, in the words of one faculty senator, “less than it used to cost to get a beer or two from Cadillac’s.”