When students arrive on the Hill next fall, they will not have to worry about waiting on hold or in lines to set up cable and phone service.

Beginning in the fall semester, students will be charged a $150 communication fee each semester, included among other fees, that will pay for local phone service, Resnet and cable television, said Ron Kurdziel, director of telecommunications at Syracuse University. Because the fee is included in the regular university fees, it will be considered when the university determines financial aid, he said. Before becoming official, the plan was debated for more than a year.

Brian Higgins, a junior broadcast journalism and political science major, likes the idea of not having to worry about setting up the service.

“Definitely one of the worst things is waiting around for cable at the beginning of the year and wondering how many football games I am going to miss on TV,” Higgins said.

Students who wish to have premium cable channels and long distance phone service would be required to pay more, Kurdziel said.

With the fee, students will not have to worry about payments or shutting down their services. In the end, the communications fee will save students money, Kurdziel said.

Higgins also likes the idea of the reduced rate and thinks students will benefit from it.

“It’s great. I don’t want to pay $300 a year for cable, and it’s a pain that I don’t have local phone service and I can’t pick up my phone and make a call,” he said.

The decision of the communication fee was not only the decision of telecommunications but a decision made in conjunction with Computing and Media Services, the Office of Residence Life, the Division of Student Affairs and a survey of students on campus, Kurdziel said.

One draw back to the plan is that everyone will not use all of the services they will be paying for, Kurdziel said.

Jason Benetti, a sophomore broadcast journalism major, said the idea to include cable is a good one, but he questions the inclusion of local phone service.

“I have a cell phone which functions as my local phone and paying extra for local phone service, knowing that every student does not need it, seems wrong,” he said.

Benetti said he went to a Residence Hall Association meeting where he heard students voice the same opinion.

“I know a lot of students who use cell phones,” said Benetti. “They get a local plan included with their other plan, and with having friends all over the place, it is a better option.”

Published on March 23, 2003 at 12:00 pm