With the increasing popularity of summer classes both on-campus and online, the University has reduced the per-credit-hour fee for this summer by 15 percent. Students often take advantage of summer classes to get ahead in their studies, graduate on time or make room for internships during the school year. The new fee structure pertains to current students, transfer students and guest students. Kim McBroom, associate vice president for Marketing and Communications, said the decision stems from conversations students had with the former provost last fall. ‘Students had expressed that they wished summer rates could be a little less expensive. The provost and finance department reviewed the part-time rate, realizing they could revisit part-time student calculation for how the rate per credit hour was calculated,’ she said. The rate was then recalibrated to make it much more advantageous for students looking to take part-time classes. ‘When you are going part-time, it has been adjusted downward to make the costs more appealing,’ McBroom said. ‘If someone would like to take a class or two to catch up or get ahead, it is now much more cost effective to do that.’ In a campus e-mail sent March 4, 2009, University President Carol Cartwright explained the decision. ‘Given the current economy, we think this is one way we can help our students control their education costs. The lower summer per-credit-hour fee gives students the opportunity to stay on track with their education plans or get ahead at a more affordable rate.’ Junior Aimee Klingelsmith took summer classes for the first time last year and will do so again in the upcoming semester. ‘I actually found out about the 15 percent [savings] after I registered so that was just a nice perk,’ she said. ‘But I’m taking so many classes because I can’t afford the loans and interest so that 15 percent is nice.’ Senior Nick Byer has taken two online classes prior to this semester and said the best part about them was being able to work at his own pace. ‘I took them to catch up on my classes,’ Byer said. ‘I could do everything from home, which allowed me to keep a full-time job in the summer without having to worry about interferences.’ Summer classes are broken into three sessions: one eight-week session, and two six-week sessions, resulting in faster paced classes. Both core courses and electives are offered during the summer. The fast pace makes it easy for students to fall behind, Byer warned. He advised students to be aware of assignments and their due dates. ‘Because you do get to work on your own, it is easy to let yourself get behind on readings and other assignments,’ he said. More than 700 class sessions are offered on-campus and an additional 200 more are offered online.