When I first toured Samford University, I looked at this place in bright-eyed wonder. This would be the place I grew spiritually, experienced quality academics and made lifelong friendships. However, I fear this lovely reality is no longer the case.
Over the past year, Samford has made multiple “exciting” announcements – and by exciting, I mean only exciting to the trustees who oversee Samford. These proposed and predicted changes to campus, such as parking fee increases and massive expansions of campus (and all the lovely implications that has on current students) have been nothing less than the bane of Samford students and Homewood residents alike.
Despite a roughly $3,000 increase in tuition and fees for the upcoming school year, Samford has also increased parking pass fees by 733%. When students voiced concerns and went as far as to make an online petition, Beck Taylor responded that “a $250 semester fee for parking may cause (students) to think about other options.”
This response is incredibly tone deaf and contrary to what the University claims the goal of these changes is: to bring more students to Samford.
Yet, in their efforts to expand campus and make the school more appealing, they are only driving students away by making it less affordable.
“If I were a freshman or sophomore right now, I’d transfer out of here,” one Fizz post read from March 27 at 1:06 p.m.
More concerning is that the continuation of record enrollment for the upcoming school year has caused the current dining facilities on campus to not be able to support the size of the student body next year.
Students took to Fizz once again to air their outrage.
“So like Samford can you just maybe stop accepting so many (people) until there’s enough room and FOOD for everyone here (sic)” one student said on Fizz March 27 at 10:10 a.m.
Samford claims to be improving student life but instead, they are financially and experientially hurting students. Students do not come to Samford to make it bigger – they come because they loved the small and scenic school they saw on their tour. They come because of the faith life and the quality of education.
Samford allowing more and more students to attend will no doubt lower the quality of the student body. A larger student body without an increase in professors means larger class sizes and inevitably, a lower quality education. Paired with rising tuition and other astronomical fees, Samford University is making itself less accessible to middle class students.
If an SEC style private college fueled by daddy’s money rich kids is what the university is seeking, I guess in a few years they will find it. As for the current student body, we get to watch starry-eyed freshman witness their college dreams crash and burn along with the university.
Staff Writer
