Tuition hike gets support from ASUSU
The Associated Students of Utah State University Executive Council will support in full a proposed tuition increase.
The council voted 14-3 at its weekly meeting Tuesday to approve the proposed 9 percent increase, which includes a state-mandated 5.5 percent increase and an additional 3.5 percent increase proposed by USU President Kermit L. Hall.
“We’re at a critical place where we can make a decision where we want to take this university,” said ASUSU Academics Vice President Jim Stephenson, who made the motion to approve the proposed increase.
Stephenson said the decision is whether USU will compete with other research institutions or “dwindle into a technical school or a four-year school” of a lower standard.
But the three members who voted against the motion – Public Relations Vice President Marni Jenkins, Student Advocate Bradley Bishop and Graduate Studies Vice President Eric Worthen – said they didn’t feel student support was behind the increase.
Jenkins said students she has spoken to “try to be understanding” as she explains the reasons Hall wants the increase, which include better student advising, better student-to-faculty ratios, and improvements to the libraries, among other things.
However, most students she talks to are still against it, she said.
Worthen said he was concerned about lower-income families already struggling to send their children to college.
“Nine percent in one year is a lot,” he said. “That’s a lot.”
But Stephenson said part of Hall’s plan is to do what he can to increase financial aid and scholarships for students who have the hardest time handling any tuition increase. Hall has already announced he will create an Inaugural Scholarship Fund, started with money that would otherwise have been used for Hall’s inauguration party as well as with $10,000 of Hall’s own money.
ASUSU Executive Vice President Rex Hansen said he sees the increase as a way to ensure that a USU degree means something.
“The status of this university in 15 years will have an impact on my degree in 15 years,” he said. He said the university, which is currently considered a third-tier institution by U.S. News and World Report, should be able to improve itself with the money generated by the proposed increase, giving more credence to those with a USU degree.
ASUSU Athletics Vice President Mike Shipley agreed.
“I just really caught the vision that President Hall gave as to the value of our degree,” he said.
Tuesday’s vote does not create official legislation and doesn’t mean tuition will, indeed, be raised. Instead, it is meant to voice the council’s support for the proposed increase.
Hall must still make his recommendation to the Utah Board of Regents, which will then either approve it or reject it. USU is the only public college or university in Utah that hasn’t yet made its tuition recommendation to the Board, which has approved all recommendations made so far.
Before making his recommendation, however, Hall is planning an open student forum at noon April 13 to get student input. He will make his recommendation to the Board April 20.