Santa Monica College backs away from dual-fee plan

From The Los Angeles Times: Officials at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif., have canceled plans to establish a two-tier fee program that had sparked student protests, opposition from the state's community colleges chancellor and national debate about the mission of public institutions. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to postpone the dual-fee plan, which would have imposed higher fees for some high-demand, core courses such as English, math and history. The issue erupted last week when police used pepper spray to disperse protesters demanding a campus-wide referendum on the tuition plan.