The Undergraduate Student government announced that as of Nov. 1 Ohio State students will have free access to one year of The New York Times. Credit: Jasmyne Smith | Lantern Reporter
The Undergraduate Student Government announced free digital access to The New York Times for students, faculty and staff Nov. 1, including access to all articles and games.
Jack Tumulty, USG’s director of Student Affairs and a second-year in finance, said in an email research in the spring found that many students already purchase an annual $52 subscription. He said students may need access to the Times to complete coursework and hopes the free subscription will alleviate some of those costs.
“We hope that these subscriptions will provide a way for the students, faculty and staff of our university to remain updated on current events and gain new perspectives on issues facing the world,” Tumulty said. “These subscriptions are intended for both academic and personal purposes, and we hope for students to utilize the platform to further their interests in topics they’re passionate about.”
The subscription will enable students to engage with important issues, both nationally and internationally, Tiffany Hsich, USG’s director of Academic Affairs, said in an email.
“We believe the NYT will especially enable OSU students to be educated and enabled global citizens, promote conversation on prevalent world topics and drive individual ambition and inspiration within their personal and academic lives,” Hsich, a third-year in French and Francophone studies and philosophy, politics and economics, said. “The NYT will help us achieve these goals given its reliable reputation and aspirations for spreading accurate information.”
Derek Moore, USG vice president and a fourth-year in information systems, said in an email once the funding was secured, he negotiated the terms of the contract with the Office of Legal Affairs and the transaction with the Office of Student Life with the help of USG President Andrew Pierce II.
“The team researched the benefits of offering such a service, how our initiative could support various academic areas, and how to ensure students are aware of the service offerings,” Moore said.
Pierce, a fourth-year in public policy analysis and public policy and management, said in an email subscriptions will be funded through the Student Activity Fee allocation from the Council on Student Affairs after USG received $120,000 last year for projects and programming, which included access to news sources.
Students can activate their subscription through AccessNYT.com by entering their school credentials and making a free account. Subscriptions will remain active for one year and will then be reevaluated by USG to assess student use and need before continuation.
