Student Senate debated tuition and fee increase recommendations in front of members of the N.C. State Fee Review Committee Wednesday after holding a town hall meeting in Harrelson Hall for student input.
According to the Student Body President Alex Parker, attending this meeting gave students a direct channel to members of the committee who vote on tuition increases.
Parker began the meeting by providing general information about the university budget and UNC General Administration policy and gave a brief overview about previous conversations between tuition review committees.
The president of the UNC-System Thomas Ross said that he did not recommend any tuition increases for undergraduate in-state students at any state school in 2014, so the tuition increases being debated may only affect in-state graduate students, out-of-state undergraduate students and out-of-state graduate students. Their tuition may be increased from 6 percent to 12 percent.
“The fact that we are not raising the tuition on in-state undergrad students extinguishes a fire that we would most likely have on campus because that is most of the students that we have here,” Parker said.
Fees, however, are not included in Ross’ no increase suggestion.
The Student Senate has a cap that it will not exceed a 6.5 percent fee increase for each student. According to Parker, the Senate wants to keep the number below the cap if possible. Right now, if all programs are approved to be funded fully, each student would be required to pay a 6.3 percent fee increase for next year.
Much of the fee increase is going to Student Activities. A total of 10 programs are asking for a combined fee increase of $99.81 per student. A representative from each student activities program requesting an increase gave a statement about what the money is for and why his or her program should be supported.
David Meyer, the vice president of the Union Activities Board said the 50 cents fee increase that UAB is asking for would go toward supporting the new Talley Student Union as well as increasing programs on Centennial Campus.
“The arts love you, you love the arts, please support us,” said Alex Miller, vice provost for the Arts N.C. State, which is asking for a $10.55 fee increase for next year.
Other programs asking for increases include the Office for Institutional Equity and Diversity, University Recreation, Education and Technology, Student Health Services, Student Media, Student Government, Student Legal Services and University Transit.
Student Senate voted in front of the Fee Review Committee on the fees after listening to student input. However, according to Sandy Jones, the director of business administration for the Division on Academic and Student Affairs, the process does not end here.
“On October the 4th, the Fee Review Committee meets for the last time and they hear the student’s positions on the fees,” Jones said. “They vote and Kelsey and Alex will vote the way the student senate comes out. Then it goes to the Chancellor.”
According to Jones, the Chancellor’s review team is called the Conference Committee. It consists of Chancellor Randy Woodson, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Warwick Arden, the Vice Chancellor and Dean of Academic and Student Affairs Michael Mullen, Parker and Student Senate President Kelsey Mills.
The Conference Committee will meet and discuss the process and the concerns of both the students and the administration.
In the next step, the Chancellor sends his recommendations to the Board of Trustees, and then the Board votes in November. The Board of Trustee’s vote then goes to the Board of Governors who vote in February and finalize the Tuition and Fees increases. Lastly it goes to the N.C. State Legislature, but that is just for the purpose of information, Jones said.
