Regents conditionally approve tuition rates for next year
Author: Anne Krapfl
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Author: Anne Krapfl
Meeting Wednesday in Ames, the state Board of Regents set tuition rates for the 2016-17 year, but pledged to revisit the issue following the 2016 legislative session if state support for the three universities next year falls short of the board's appropriation requests. "Conditional" was part of the motion approved on a 9-0 vote, and student regent Rachael Johnson asked for clarification on what that meant.
"We've asked the state to support more the public universities, rather than placing the burden on student debt," said board president Bruce Rastetter. "If we're not successful, it's my recommendation that this board come back and revisit tuition increases. Because, at the end of the day, the universities need the resources to compete and improve programs and maintain quality."
In September, the board approved incremental state funding requests of $8.2 million for Iowa State, $7.6 million for Northern Iowa and $4.5 million for Iowa, for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2016.
"It's critical for us to gain that state support," Rastetter said, "and we will be back here talking about tuition increases if we don't get that state support."
The board approved a tuition freeze for the 2016-17 year for Iowa State and Northern Iowa resident undergraduates – who will have a 3 percent increase this spring semester -- and a 3 percent increase ($200) for Iowa resident undergraduates. Board members approved increases for all other Iowa State students, including:
The board also approved Iowa State's supplemental tuition request, $500 per year for three years, for current and new nonimmigrant, noncitizen international students. The revenue would help cover costs of additional services needed for international students, currently funded by all students.
Finally, the board approved a $33.50 increase to ISU's mandatory student fee, split between a $20 health fee increase and a $13.50 student services fee increase. The mandatory student fee next year for Iowa State students will range from $1,075 to $1,337.
The board approved 31 professional development requests for Iowa State faculty for the 2016-17 academic year. The group includes 18 men and 13 women. Fifteen of the proposals will occur during the fall 2016 semester, and eight each in the spring semester and the full academic year. Projects include completing books, spending the year as a Fulbright scholar, doing field research, working abroad with current collaborators and developing a course. A summary of proposed faculty projects is online (Iowa State's faculty list begins on page 25).
Associate provost for faculty Dawn Bratsch-Prince told board members that Iowa State has several expectations for proposals that receive a green light:
The board approved requests on three previously announced construction projects. They are:
In other business, the board approved Iowa State proposals to: