Students speak out about tuition increase
Utah State University President Kermit L. Hall got feedback from a small gathering of students on his proposed 3.5 percent tuition increase Friday in the Sunburst Lounge in the Taggart Student Center. Unlike other Utah university presidents, Hall said he wanted to hear from the student body before approving the increase, an addition to the 5.5 percent increase already passed by the Board of Regents.
Only about 30 students were on hand to comment on the tuition hike. Opinions ranged from skeptical to openly supportive of the increase. Hall said he was happy with the forum.
“I didn’t hear any bitter opposition and there was some support,” he said. “I feel that there should be plenty of opportunities for students to sit and talk with both me and the administration here. As long as I’m president here, you, the students, have every right to ask any question of me about how I’m doing things as president.”
One-page fliers outlining some of the benefits and justifications for the tuition increase were handed out to members of the audience. The fliers noted the 3.5 percent increase will cost students $68.16 next year. Approximately $1 million will be raised, and that money will be used to improve library services, academic advising and counseling services, and also to reduce the student-to-faculty ratio at USU.
One student in the audience noted the Utah Legislature has spent millions of dollars over the past 10 years to reduce class size in Utah’s schools and that they had only managed to reduce the student-to-faculty ratio by two students per class. He asked Hall how he expected to make a difference with just a percentage of $1 million. Hall acknowledged that the money wouldn’t solve the problem, but he said, “We have to start someplace.”
Provost Stan Albrecht added, “Face it. We’re not going to go from a 23-to-1 ratio to a 15-to-1 ratio with $500,000.”
He said the university was looking at other ways to reduce class size.
Hall said additional faculty and improved academic advising and counseling services are necessary to help improve retention and graduation rates. In both those categories USU lags behind peer universities like the University of Utah, Iowa State University and North Carolina State University. USU’s freshman retention rate is 66 percent, compared to U of U’s 72 percent, ISU’s 83 percent and NCSU’s 88 percent. USU’s graduation rate after six years is just 43 percent, compared to 52 percent at the U of U, 65 percent at NCSU and 59 percent at Washington State University.
Hall stressed the importance of seeking private contributions.
“It’s clear to get better we’re going to need help from the Legislature, but we cannot rely entirely on the Legislature,” Hall said.
He pointed out USU’s endowment is around $75 million, compared to NCSU’s, which is $400 million.
Hall said he was committed to improving USU.
“Are we going to become the Harvard of the West? I don’t think so, but that’s not why we’re here. My pledge to you is to be clear about what we’re doing and to be accountable to you, the students,” he said.