University Times

The Board of Trustees student affairs committee this week approved an increase in the computer and network services fee for Pitt students at all five campuses.

Beginning in the fall term, all full-time students will pay $175 per term (up from the current $150), and part-time students will pay $100 per term (up from $75).

According to press materials distributed at the committee’s public meeting, the fee, last raised in 2006, supports student-related computing activities, including computer labs, wireless deployment in selected areas, distribution of software and spam filtering, as well as expanding available bandwidth.

“Incremental cost increases of $1.35 million annually have been incurred for the student component of maintaining the network infrastructure and network security services, the wireless network, email, web storage and backups and software packages distributed to students without charge,” the press materials state as justification for the increase.

The full Board of Trustees is expected to give final approval of the fee increase at its June 25 meeting, Pitt officials said.

—Peter Hart