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It was quite disheartening
to see that staff STAP [Staff Training Assistance Program] funds
for class tuition have been reduced to $800 a year per staff
person, a level that was last seen on campus before the dot-com
craze. Not only will staff have no pay raise this year (at least we
share this hardship with faculty) but now we have a double-whammy
of less money for more expensive classes. The STAP funds may have
reverted to pre--dot-com levels but the cost of courses has
not.
Let's see how far that $800 will go at today's Stanford class rates. Opening up the Fall Quarter Continuing Studies catalog, one-day courses range from $45 to $85, and a 1-unit course from $190 to $250. But most of the courses are 2 units and they start at $345. Toss in the registration fee of $30 and chances are, you've spent half your allowance in one quarter. Computer classes from Information Technology Systems and Services, from learning PowerPoint to advanced Excel, are even more expensive. The concept behind STAP
funds is fantastic. Providing a certain amount of funds per staff
person per year, though limited by IRS rules as to content and
provider, for course tuition encourages Stanford staff to explore
new topics, sharpen existing skills and become more diverse in
thought and experience. The funds are also good for Stanford's
business, which I believe is still education. In this case, the
education is not for undergrads, grad students or faculty, but for
the staff. The logic in raising the STAP funds during the dot-com
time was simple: The funds were seen as a good marketing tool to
acquire and retain excellent staff.
If that logic was good then, and the concept remains great, why reduce this unique benefit to the university? In the end, it is the university that benefits from staff use of STAP funds. Elizabeth
Lasensky
Office of the Dean of Research |
Stanford Report, August 20, 2003