Students left with bookstore charges

By Margaret Damghani
Asst Around the Campus Editor

When 975 students swiped their ID cards in the bookstore on Sept. 17 to purchase their books as usual for the fall 2006 semester, a computer error prevented the data from the bookstore from being  debited from the students’ accounts.

Financial aid refund checks were issued before the error was discovered, Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Neil Hawk said, causing students to have a balance due for their books.

Students were not sent a notice if their balances remained.
           
“Braveweb captures any charge that a student incurs during a semester,” Hawk said. “The longer range goal is to utilize the electronic resources and not paper ones.”
           
If a student checked their Braveweb account before Oct. 1, they would not have seen the balance reflected, he said.
           
Some students were still able to register for Spring 2007 classes without realizing they owed the school for their books. 
           
If these students had work study checks or personal service contracts with the school, their check was “marked” so that they could come and rectify the situation, Hawk said.
           
If they did not have checks to mark, the remaining balance came out of this semester’s financial aid.
           
One student noticed that she still owed the school a balance via Braveweb in December, but said Braveweb did initially indicate her books were paid for.
           
“I found out about it as I casually was browsing Braveweb during the Christmas Break. I was not contacted about the outstanding balance; it just appeared on my account. 

I'm an extremely detailed person and I pay close attention to my business matters,” said Shereka Blue, a senior Mass Communications student.
           
“It affected me, therefore I should have been notified,” Blue said.
           
The school may begin sending out paper notices to students with balances twice a semester, according to Hawk.