UTM students lose $36,000 and face major changes in their college life.

This summer, after 11 years of outstanding service, the Program Access for College Enhancement (PACE) office will close its door forever. The PACE program is suffering from a 70 percent and $36,000 decrease in their budget because of the recent state budget cuts. This drastic budget cut affects over 70 PACE students on the UTM campus.

The UTM 2003-2004 student handbook states, "It is the policy of the university to provide reasonable accommodations (academic adjustments and auxiliary aids) to assist students with disabilities in negotiating the university system. PACE serves students with learning disabilities and ADD."

Services provided by PACE include one-on-one tutors and notes provided by classmates. However, when PACE students returned for the fall semester, they found unappealing changes taking away these services had occurred. Heather Ferguson, a PACE student, feels that the PACE staff did what they could to recuperate from the devastating budget cut. When asked how she felt about the budget cut Ferguson said, " I think it is pathetic that this has had to happen. The playing field will no longer be even for students with learning disabilities."

This semester, tutors will be made available, but next semester PACE will provide notes instead. According Dr. Michelle Arrant, the Director of the P.A.C.E. program, the law does not require tutors but it does require access to notes.

Since the PACE program is state funded, the state considers having tutors as a personal service.

Many students of PACE will miss the nurturing environment provided by the program. Once PACE closes for good, students with learning disabilities will most likely seek help from the Student Academic Support Center.

This merging process may begin as soon as next semester.

Some fear that the students with learning disabilities will not get the much-needed attention they now receive.