LiberalNation
04-27-2010, 06:43 PM
money grubbing bastards.
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100427/NEWS01/4270360/1008/rss01
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Despite a protest from one of its members, the University of Kentucky board of trustees approved a plan Tuesday to raise in-state tuition by 6 percent next year, increasing the amount incoming freshmen would pay each semester to $4,305.
The total annual costs for in-state tuition, housing, dining and mandatory fees would rise to $14,923 a year for underclassmen. For juniors and seniors, the cost would increase to $15,172 a year.
Out-of-state freshmen and sophomores would pay $8,839 per semester in tuition and mandatory fees, which does not include housing and dining costs. Out-of-state juniors and seniors would pay $8,957 per semester.
“We’re going to stay with 6 percent. We know it is difficult out there, but it is also difficult for us,” said UK President Lee Todd.
The increase — coupled with an expected cut in state funding in the coming fiscal year — will still leave UK short about $7.5 million, and looking for ways to reduce costs. Among the ways it will do that is freeze faculty and staff salaries for the third year in a row — a move university officials fear will hurt morale and result in the loss of prize faculty.
Such a loss comes at a time when the university is seeking to launch a revamped general education curriculum that calls for smaller class sizes and the hiring of additional instructors. It also comes as it is trying to hang onto enrollment, degree production and retention gains it had made in recent years.
The trustees’ action comes less than a week after the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education approved tuition ceilings that allowed UK and the University of Louisville to raise in-state, undergraduate tuition 6 percent for the 2010-11 school year.
Other four-year universities such as Western, Eastern and Northern Kentucky would be allowed to raise tuition 5 percent. The state's community colleges could raise tuition 4 percent.
The boards of the other public institutions are expected to announce their tuition proposals in the coming weeks. All the proposals will be forwarded to the council for approval in May, and then come back to their respective university boards for final approval by June.
(2 of 2)
Prior to the current academic year, UK had two years in which it raised in-state tuition by 9 percent. Previous years saw double-digit increases.
Not all members of the UK board supported increasing tuition. Trustee Charles Sachatello, who spoke out last year against a tuition increase, took the same stance this year.
“And I’ll vote against it next year,” said Sachatello, a former professor of surgery at UK Medical Center. “Our problem is that we have no leadership in Frankfort.”
He said voters should ask lawmakers who seek their support during the upcoming state elections “why they oppose education.”
University officials agree that the state needs to find more money for education and, specifically, for the school to meets its goal of becoming a top 20 public research institution. At the same time, they noted during the meeting that UK is affordable compared with surrounding states, and that 85 percent of the school’s undergraduates received some type of financial assistance during the current school year.
Following the meeting, student trustee Ryan Smith said the tuition recommendation represents “a balance between quality education and affordability” that still allows students access to programs taught by experienced faculty. Not raising tuition, he said, could result in cuts to both, which could result in students having to spend more time and money earning their degrees.
Ernie Yannarella, a political science professor and the outgoing faculty trustee, said the continued freeze on salaries is causing frustration among faculty.
“I can’t imagine a time when faculty morale was lower,” said Yannerella, noting that faculty “have obligations to their families like everyone else.”
Mira Ball, the board’s chairwoman, said setting tuition “is a difficult decision every year.”
“We work with what we can get,” she said. “It’s tough, but it’s tough everywhere right now for everybody.”
Reporter Nancy Rodriguez can be reached at (502) 582-7079.
Next Page1| 2Previous Page
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100427/NEWS01/4270360/1008/rss01
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Despite a protest from one of its members, the University of Kentucky board of trustees approved a plan Tuesday to raise in-state tuition by 6 percent next year, increasing the amount incoming freshmen would pay each semester to $4,305.
The total annual costs for in-state tuition, housing, dining and mandatory fees would rise to $14,923 a year for underclassmen. For juniors and seniors, the cost would increase to $15,172 a year.
Out-of-state freshmen and sophomores would pay $8,839 per semester in tuition and mandatory fees, which does not include housing and dining costs. Out-of-state juniors and seniors would pay $8,957 per semester.
“We’re going to stay with 6 percent. We know it is difficult out there, but it is also difficult for us,” said UK President Lee Todd.
The increase — coupled with an expected cut in state funding in the coming fiscal year — will still leave UK short about $7.5 million, and looking for ways to reduce costs. Among the ways it will do that is freeze faculty and staff salaries for the third year in a row — a move university officials fear will hurt morale and result in the loss of prize faculty.
Such a loss comes at a time when the university is seeking to launch a revamped general education curriculum that calls for smaller class sizes and the hiring of additional instructors. It also comes as it is trying to hang onto enrollment, degree production and retention gains it had made in recent years.
The trustees’ action comes less than a week after the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education approved tuition ceilings that allowed UK and the University of Louisville to raise in-state, undergraduate tuition 6 percent for the 2010-11 school year.
Other four-year universities such as Western, Eastern and Northern Kentucky would be allowed to raise tuition 5 percent. The state's community colleges could raise tuition 4 percent.
The boards of the other public institutions are expected to announce their tuition proposals in the coming weeks. All the proposals will be forwarded to the council for approval in May, and then come back to their respective university boards for final approval by June.
(2 of 2)
Prior to the current academic year, UK had two years in which it raised in-state tuition by 9 percent. Previous years saw double-digit increases.
Not all members of the UK board supported increasing tuition. Trustee Charles Sachatello, who spoke out last year against a tuition increase, took the same stance this year.
“And I’ll vote against it next year,” said Sachatello, a former professor of surgery at UK Medical Center. “Our problem is that we have no leadership in Frankfort.”
He said voters should ask lawmakers who seek their support during the upcoming state elections “why they oppose education.”
University officials agree that the state needs to find more money for education and, specifically, for the school to meets its goal of becoming a top 20 public research institution. At the same time, they noted during the meeting that UK is affordable compared with surrounding states, and that 85 percent of the school’s undergraduates received some type of financial assistance during the current school year.
Following the meeting, student trustee Ryan Smith said the tuition recommendation represents “a balance between quality education and affordability” that still allows students access to programs taught by experienced faculty. Not raising tuition, he said, could result in cuts to both, which could result in students having to spend more time and money earning their degrees.
Ernie Yannarella, a political science professor and the outgoing faculty trustee, said the continued freeze on salaries is causing frustration among faculty.
“I can’t imagine a time when faculty morale was lower,” said Yannerella, noting that faculty “have obligations to their families like everyone else.”
Mira Ball, the board’s chairwoman, said setting tuition “is a difficult decision every year.”
“We work with what we can get,” she said. “It’s tough, but it’s tough everywhere right now for everybody.”
Reporter Nancy Rodriguez can be reached at (502) 582-7079.
Next Page1| 2Previous Page