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9, 2001 Tuition adjustment has direct benefit to students and faculty Arkansas State University’s Board of Trustees will consider the administration’s proposed tuition adjustment for the upcoming academic year when it meets Friday in Jonesboro. The proposal calls for a real increase of about five percent for most students. One percent will be added to the increase to raise it to six percent; however, the one percent hike will be offset by elimination of nearly 190 different course fees, netting the overall increase of about five percent. Also, a $9 per credit hour technology fee will help finance significant technological improvements in instruction. Two vice presidents at ASU characterize the increases as necessary for ASU to continue improving the quality of students’ educational experience and to offset operational cost increases. During recent weeks, the University Planning Committee has been reviewing a list of proposed campus needs, while considering how these needs could best be met. Dr. Rick McDaniel, interim vice president for academic affairs, pointed out that some new faculty and staff positions which will be funded through the tuition increase are required to meet accreditation requirements of their respective programs. Graduates of accredited programs have a significantly better prospect of employment. Two of the new positions are for academic instructors/advisors who will spend most of their time advising students, especially younger students who have not chosen a major. "We have tried to keep ASU very competitively priced," McDaniel said. "We definitely will use our resources very wisely, with the student’s best interest at heart." The technology fee will have immediate and direct benefit to students, who will see upgrades in the university’s instructional technology. Increased computing speed and campus network capacity are immediate goals, along with installation of wireless Internet connectivity. Jennus Burton, vice president for finance and administration, said a newly formed Student Information Technology Committee, consisting of students, faculty and staff, will develop specific proposals for how the technology fee proceeds can best be utilized to benefit students. Another technology-related benefit will be the implementation of a Microsoft Campus Agreement. Through this plan, the university will provide a Microsoft Office software package to each student. "We want to give our students what they need to be technologically adept," he added, referring to all of the anticipated improvements. Overall, the tuition increase proposal is one of the lowest increases he has seen in the state, and is just barely above the inflation level. Some of the costs of operating the university are beyond the institution’s control, Burton added. The utility expense for heating buildings this past winter was much higher, while usage was about the same. For example, the cost of natural gas in January was 400 percent higher than the previous year. He also said the state mandated a 2.6 percent cost of living pay increase for university employees, while providing funding for only 40 percent of the cost. Healthcare costs incurred through the university’s self-insurance program are increasing, as well. An additional $1.2 million is needed to fund the health insurance program. Employees began paying increased premiums in January and will provide $400,000 of the new funding, while the university will make up the remainder. |
 University Communications Office Jonesboro, Arkansas Staff: Tom Moore Straley Snipes Vic Nelson 870-972-3056 fax 870-972-3069 Send mail: ASUnews@omaha.astate.edu Links: List of News/Announcements Upcoming Public Events About ASU ASU Home Page |
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