GPSS IN THE NEWS
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REGENTS POISED TO OK TUITION HIKE
Source: The Daily
Author: Meghan Erkkinen
Date: May 19, 2006
The Board of Regents discussed a proposed 7-percent tuition increase at length yesterday, with some regents expressing concern about its effect on students.
The discussions, held by the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and the Finance, Audit and Facilities Committee, went "a lot better than expected," ASUW President Lee Dunbar said.
Although the Board of Regents will most likely approve the tuition increase, a number of regents articulated apprehension over the financial burden on students, Dunbar said.
"It said to me that we're going to talk about this more," he said.
If the proposed 7-percent undergraduate tuition increase were passed, it would raise tuition by $357 per year, from $5,100 to $5,457.
The proposals would go toward increasing staff and faculty pay, as well as increasing the number of faculty at the University.
If the proposal passes, faculty will receive a 2-percent pay increase; professional staff and librarians would receive 3-percent; teaching and research assistants would receive 2.6-percent; and classified staff would receive a 1.6-percent cost of living increase.
The committee members requested more information on the UW's salary policies and the policies of peer institutions for further review.
The proposed tuition increase would also go to fund inflation of operating costs.
Regent Frederick Kiga, chair of the Finance, Audit and Facilities Committee, was distressed about declining financial support from the State Legislature.
He described the discussion as "very thoughtful."
"We're mindful of the impact our discussion has on students," he said.
Student representatives are concerned about what effect increased tuition might have on enrollment and what ASUW President Lee Dunbar called "the culture of acceptance at the UW."
The reason why the UW enrolled fewer African-Americans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2005-06 was not because the University made fewer offers, but because of the increase in tuition, Dunbar said.
"'Sticker shock' is a very real thing," he said.
The board also heard proposals for graduate program tuition increases. For the majority of graduate programs, the proposed increase is 7-percent for both residents and non-residents. The nursing master's program, as well as the pharmacy, law, medicine and dentistry programs, may see a 10-percent increase.
The largest tuition increase on the table is for the MBA program, which may see a 17-percent jump next year.
The increase is part of a long-term plan to push tuition toward that of peer institutions, said Gary Sundem, associate dean of graduate programs in the business school.
The MBA program is continually adding and enhancing programs to stay competitive, he said. This year, it added a large leadership communications program that costs more than $1,000 per student to fund.
Although costs have gone up, so has aid, Sundem said.
"We have increased the scholarships a lot," he said. "My feeling is that we need to increase them more."
Sundem said he hopes to increase the program's scholarship budget by 30 percent next year.
Graduate program tuition is largely locally controlled. Undergraduate tuition, on the other hand, is set at a maximum level by the State Legislature each biennium. For the last two years, annual tuition increases have been limited to 7 percent.
Once the biennium budget is passed, the decision is largely out of students' control.
Students should instead focus on lowering the rate for the next budget cycle, Dunbar said.
"We want to make sure there is a comprehensive plan ... that is predictable," Dunbar said. "For students, it's an uphill battle."
Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) President Adam Grupp agreed that a comprehensive plan would be the best way to address inevitable tuition increases.
"The hope is that we can at least offer [students] a clear picture for the future," Grupp said. The GPSS supports returning graduate tuition setting authority to the Legislature.
"We have not really developed what I would describe as a robust strategy for helping students fund graduate school as we increase costs every year," Grupp added.
Grupp acknowledged the necessity of maintaining funding of University programs.
"If we don't pay the bills, than the quality is going to go down very rapidly," he said.
The UW has lower tuition than many of its peer institutions. At the University of California-Los Angeles, for example, in-state undergraduate tuition is $5,406 this year. At Ohio State, tuition is $8,082. At the University of Florida, one of the few peer institutions with a lower tuition than the UW, tuition and fees total $3,180.
The projected average tuition increase at peer institutions is approximately 9.3 percent, Dunbar said.
An official vote on the proposed increases will take place at the Board of Regents meeting on June 8.
The discussions, held by the Academic and Student Affairs Committee and the Finance, Audit and Facilities Committee, went "a lot better than expected," ASUW President Lee Dunbar said.
Although the Board of Regents will most likely approve the tuition increase, a number of regents articulated apprehension over the financial burden on students, Dunbar said.
"It said to me that we're going to talk about this more," he said.
If the proposed 7-percent undergraduate tuition increase were passed, it would raise tuition by $357 per year, from $5,100 to $5,457.
The proposals would go toward increasing staff and faculty pay, as well as increasing the number of faculty at the University.
If the proposal passes, faculty will receive a 2-percent pay increase; professional staff and librarians would receive 3-percent; teaching and research assistants would receive 2.6-percent; and classified staff would receive a 1.6-percent cost of living increase.
The committee members requested more information on the UW's salary policies and the policies of peer institutions for further review.
The proposed tuition increase would also go to fund inflation of operating costs.
Regent Frederick Kiga, chair of the Finance, Audit and Facilities Committee, was distressed about declining financial support from the State Legislature.
He described the discussion as "very thoughtful."
"We're mindful of the impact our discussion has on students," he said.
Student representatives are concerned about what effect increased tuition might have on enrollment and what ASUW President Lee Dunbar called "the culture of acceptance at the UW."
The reason why the UW enrolled fewer African-Americans, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2005-06 was not because the University made fewer offers, but because of the increase in tuition, Dunbar said.
"'Sticker shock' is a very real thing," he said.
The board also heard proposals for graduate program tuition increases. For the majority of graduate programs, the proposed increase is 7-percent for both residents and non-residents. The nursing master's program, as well as the pharmacy, law, medicine and dentistry programs, may see a 10-percent increase.
The largest tuition increase on the table is for the MBA program, which may see a 17-percent jump next year.
The increase is part of a long-term plan to push tuition toward that of peer institutions, said Gary Sundem, associate dean of graduate programs in the business school.
The MBA program is continually adding and enhancing programs to stay competitive, he said. This year, it added a large leadership communications program that costs more than $1,000 per student to fund.
Although costs have gone up, so has aid, Sundem said.
"We have increased the scholarships a lot," he said. "My feeling is that we need to increase them more."
Sundem said he hopes to increase the program's scholarship budget by 30 percent next year.
Graduate program tuition is largely locally controlled. Undergraduate tuition, on the other hand, is set at a maximum level by the State Legislature each biennium. For the last two years, annual tuition increases have been limited to 7 percent.
Once the biennium budget is passed, the decision is largely out of students' control.
Students should instead focus on lowering the rate for the next budget cycle, Dunbar said.
"We want to make sure there is a comprehensive plan ... that is predictable," Dunbar said. "For students, it's an uphill battle."
Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) President Adam Grupp agreed that a comprehensive plan would be the best way to address inevitable tuition increases.
"The hope is that we can at least offer [students] a clear picture for the future," Grupp said. The GPSS supports returning graduate tuition setting authority to the Legislature.
"We have not really developed what I would describe as a robust strategy for helping students fund graduate school as we increase costs every year," Grupp added.
Grupp acknowledged the necessity of maintaining funding of University programs.
"If we don't pay the bills, than the quality is going to go down very rapidly," he said.
The UW has lower tuition than many of its peer institutions. At the University of California-Los Angeles, for example, in-state undergraduate tuition is $5,406 this year. At Ohio State, tuition is $8,082. At the University of Florida, one of the few peer institutions with a lower tuition than the UW, tuition and fees total $3,180.
The projected average tuition increase at peer institutions is approximately 9.3 percent, Dunbar said.
An official vote on the proposed increases will take place at the Board of Regents meeting on June 8.