Lenoir-Rhyne Students Against the Ambition Tax

Prior to Fall 2008, at the institute of Lenoir-Rhyne College, full-time students were permitted to take 18 credit hours worth of material. Ambitious students could get permission to take an overload, or more than the maximum of 18 credits. Students who took an overload were allowed to take up to 21 credit hours for free, paying an extra tuition fee for every credit hour after the 22nd. This allowed students who wished to accomplish more the ability to take a few extra credit hours for free. At three hours a semester, an overloaded schedule could net the student an additional 24 credit hours over the course of a standard 4-year education. A standard max load would give 144 credit hours over the course of those 4-years, while an overload could give you up to 168 total credit hours.

In the Spring of 2008, it was announced that the school would consider changes that would transform Lenoir-Rhyne College into Lenoir-Rhyne University. Whether part of the "upgrade" or not, coinciding with this change was the elimination of the three credit hour "grace" range for students. Starting in Fall 2008, students would be required to pay for any credits past the 18 credit maximum.

Due to complications with student e-mail, most were unaware that they would have to pay for their 19th-21st credit hours until after they had begun the registration process. To compensate for the bad timing of notification, we were given one semester (the Fall 2008 semester) as a grace period to which this new ruling would not apply. Starting in the Spring 2009 semester, students would be required to pay a fee for those extra classes.

This petition is intended to state the opinions of the students that the addition of tuition to the first three overload credits is a "Tax on Ambition", and should be removed.
And it shouldnt be removed just because the students dont like it. What happens to the student who changes majors, and no longer has the wiggle room to take extra classes to accommodate for the change? What happens to most any double-major student? What happens to the Senior or Junior who suddenly finds themselves unable to graduate without paying an extra free, due to not planning for a penalty they didnt know waited ahead of them? What happens to the students whose majors require almost the maximum to begin with? Sure, any single major can be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time. But good luck trying to double major or pick up a minor. What may have been a challenge before is now almost discouraged.
Lenoir-Rhyne shouldnt be a factory making BS/BA Degree machines. Were at a liberal arts school. We are forced to take a diverse core curriculum to expand our knowledge, and then discouraged from building upon that. This Ambition Tax does nothing but stifle our educational growth.
Whatever happened to LR being about you? The change from Lenoir-Rhyne College to Lenoir-Rhyne University has come with endless amounts of advertising that Lenoir-Rhyne was going to be more about you. Us, the students. They tell us that LR is our school, and then do things in direct contrast to student wishes. Students are listened to as long as it fits the master plan. Thats not about us. Thats appeasement, to keep us satisfied long enough to milk an undergraduate degrees tuition out of us. The advertisements of Lenoir-Rhyne is about you! are nothing but propaganda. Lenoir-Rhyne was more about the students when it was still a college. Before we were preached to about how much the school was for us.

Lenoir-Rhyne's Statement of Values lists four key principles that will be maintained by the community of LR as a whole. Excellence, Integrity, Care, and Curiosity. What we're asking is that you uphold that Integrity. Respect our proposition, and do not wave us off as unimportant. Please do not make it an issue about money alone. Care about the students, and help us do our best to fulfill our Curiosity and to achieve Excellence.

Lenoir-Rhyne's Vision Statement states that our goal is to be known for our excellence in building leaders for tomorrow. Well, tomorrow is here, and the students are taking charge. Please don't let our voices fall on deaf ears.