University overcharging me? Never... or maybe they are

Subject: ESS Fee

Upon examination of my winter tuition fees, I noticed that my SU fees had risen by $20 and the information on the page informs me that "The Student Union fee has not increased. The Engineering Students' Society fee has been added to the Students union fee for Winter 2007 session." However, this cannot be the case because the ESS proposal (found at https://ess.ucalgary.ca/home/about/membership.php) says "each full time engineering student will be required to pay a $10 membership fee for each fall or winter semester they attend" but this cannot be what is happening since students should not and cannot be back charged for the ESS membership fee.

During the fall semester this fee did not exist because it was not voted on until October 12th, 2006 or approved until the results were released on Thursday, October 26th, 2006 (as posted on the ESS website) and therefore it is not right to charge the engineering students for the Fall 2006 semester. Many students will be double charge for ESS membership in the fall semester because they purchased a membership and now in their fees are being recharged for that membership. There is also another group of students who did not wish to purchase ESS memberships in the fall and do not want to retroactively be forced to pay for one now.

I would appreciate a clarification of this situation.

Sincerely,

Daley Mikalson

This is the letter I sent to the engineering department because they appear to be overcharging me for my fees. If you have any friends in U of C engineering please bring their attention to it. If an of you want an Endowment fund opt-out form I have a copy I can e-mail to you, but you must submit the form before January 19th, 2007.