The Board of Trustees postponed the decision to increase tuition, fees and room and board rates in its meeting on May 13.
“After some discussion with various members of the board and the work of the Audit and Finance Committee we have decided to postpone the consideration of a proposed tuition fee and room and board rate increase, as well as the operating budget for next year,” President Tom Courtway said.
By delaying the decision, Courtway says the board will have more time to review the proposed increase rate and spending of the next fiscal year.
Courtway emphasized that the additional time will also allow the board to make sure the cost-of-living adjustments for the faculty and staff will be at an appropriate level before the board moves ahead with its decision.
The board also heard from Diane Newton, Vice President of Finance and Administration, and Ronnie Williams, Vice President for Student Services and Institutional Diversity, about some of the preparatory choices that must be made before continuing with phase II of Greek Village.
The two met on April 26 with members of the board, staff and fraternity members to look at costs based on criteria that the fraternities would want to be met, such as location and numbers of beds in each house.
“As far as location, our preference is Donaghey, and what we are going to propose is that we build seven houses with 24 beds,” Williams said.
The fraternities that will be receiving houses have not been chosen, but Williams announced his recommendations to the board based on campus standing, campus history, total number of members, five-year averages and chapter interest.
The recommendations were Kappa Sigma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Nu, Sigma Tau Gamma, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Beta Upsilon Chi, Phi Gamma Delta, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi and Phi Beta Sigma.
Newton noted that in order to build seven houses on Donaghey the campus will have to purchase four buildings, including the current house owned by the Sigma Phi Epsilon members.
Along with the seven houses, an NPHC committee building will be discussed in future plans. Newton said the estimated total was around $12.2 million for the eight buildings and that the university would break even in eight years.
Faculty Senate President Ben Rowley notified the board that the Department of Nursing is changing its name to the School of Nursing.
The board re-passed the act that negates staff members’ ability to carry firearms past parking lots into buildings.
