A snappy two-hour meeting, the first for new member Kay Hinkle of Mountain View, saw the University of Central Arkansas Board of Trustees accomplish a number of items on Friday, May 7, with perhaps the two most significant being approval of a $108 million budget for 2004-2005 – the first time the university has gone over $100 million – and a 6.4 percent tuition increase.
The tuition numbers will be accomplished by increasing from 13 to 14 the maximum number of semester hours for which a student is charged. Students taking 14 hours or more will pay $2,526.50 per semester, compared to $2,252.50 currently.
“We’re the last college in the state that gives everything over 15 hours for free,” President Lu Hardin said.
The hourly rate of $145 per credit hour will not change.
Board members were told state funding was $42.7 million in 2001-2002 with $42.5 million projected for 2004-2005. Over the last two years, the university has lost about $3.5 million in state-revenue projections that did not materialize.
In other action, the board approved unanimously an administration recommendation to grant faculty and classified employees a 2.7 percent increase in base salaries.
“In these economic times, challenges we have from the state … this is very significant,” said President Hardin. “We are proud to be able to do this.” The president added the raises were “iffy” just a few weeks ago.
“We were waiting to see what the state revenue projects were to give the salary increases.”
Now those projections are that UCA will receive 100 percent of the priority A funding level and 100 percent of the priority B level.
Along with the tuition hike, the board also voted to increase a number of fees including a $20 increase in the health-services fee, bringing it to $25. The increase will allow for another registered nurse and additional exam rooms to be added.
There also will be a facility fee increase from $3 to $9, based on a maximum of 14 credit hours, plus graduate students will see fees per credit hour increased 5.8 percent, from $189 to $200.
Although the increases in tuition and fees were approved unanimously, Board of Trustees member Dr. Michael Stanton of Greenbrier expressed concern about the situation. “If you look at tuition increases over the last several years … the increases in tuition are well above inflation and other things at the university. At some point, things are going to have to be done differently,” through private fund-raising or “tightening our belt” in some areas. “You hate to keep putting it on the students,” he said, adding he believes UCA has done the best it could under the circumstances.
And Hardin is fearful the nationwide trend due to a lack of funding is only going to get worse.
Of course the major culprit in Arkansas has been the controversial Lake View court case, which ruled that public education was inequitably and inadequately funded, in effect forcing funding to be placed in K-12 education.
And while Hardin is a strong supporter of K-12 education, he has long said and repeated Friday, “The economic feasibility of a state is not determined by the number of high school graduates, it’s determined by college graduates.” And it’s worth noting that UCA has the highest graduation rate of any public university in the state at 51.3 percent.
The board also :
* Approved an Honors College participation fee, which will be phased in beginning in the fall. In 2004, juniors and seniors will pay $20 per semester; sophomores $50; and freshmen $100. By the 2007-2008 year, each Honors College student will pay $100. Honors College Director Rick Scott said that during meetings with the students there have not been any objections.
*Approved a bachelor of arts degree in African/African-American studies. Provost Gabriel Esteban said this will be the only degree major of its kind in the state, and 78 students have indicated an interest in the major.
*Approved a bachelor of applied science degree. The new degree would accommodate completion of general education requirements concurrently with enrollment in upper-level courses in one of two areas of concentration: Health Safety or Leadership and Technology.
* Approved two property acquisitions: 1951 South Boulevard, a four-bedroom house that will be used for student housing; and a vacant lot at 1961 Torreyson Street, east of Torreyson Place Apartments.
* Waived the 25 percent tuition and fees paid by students enlisted in the Army National Guard, not to exceed $1,300 per year. The students have 75 percent provided by the government.
* Tabled a proposed increase in athletic ticket prices. Ticket prices have not increased
since 2001, and a proposal was listed in the board’s agenda book. Hardin, however, asked the board to table it. He said there will be promotions in the fall and a push to raise money through the Purple Circle Club.
* Set a College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics lab fee of $20 per course, with a maximum cost of $45 per semester.
* Tabled action on a campus smoking policy until the Student Government Association and the administration can look at survey results and make a recommendation for fall.
-Tommy Jackson
