| Faculty senate passes budget
recommendations BY ADRIENNE FRANK
Tuition increases were at the top of the agenda for members of the Faculty Senate, whose meeting last Wednesday focused on budget recommendations for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. The senate recommended a tuition increase of 5.9 to 6.5 percent, which will be forwarded to AU President Benjamin Ladner. The group also committed to maintaining the current policy of increasing undergraduate and graduate financial aid at the same rate that AU increases its tuition. “You can go about these budget deliberations in a lot of different ways, and you can make assumptions about increases in tuition and other fees for our students without much reference to anything other than what we think we need,” said Provost Neil Kerwin. “What I would prefer to do is to ask the question, ‘What did we do with the money we raised from the last set of tuition increases?’ I happen to think we’ve made [extensive] progress at this institution.” Kerwin added: “We remain firmly in the middle of the pack with regard to the institutions that we compare ourselves to on tuition, and our tuition increases have been, on average, one half of one percent a year less than those same competitors.” In addition to the tuition hike, the senate approved a dozen recommendations for the academic budget, including $3 million for 3.5 to 4 percent merit increases for faculty and staff and $750,000 to fund 10 new full-time faculty to reduce the number of adjuncts. Recommendations also include a 4 percent increase in adjunct salaries, $250,000 for graduate financial aid to increase stipends, and $250,000 for classroom improvements and renovations. The two “uncontrollables” in the budget, according to Kerwin, are health and energy expenditures. The senate’s recommendation included $1 million to fund a large increase in health benefits and $1 million for energy costs. During the meeting, Kerwin also offered an update on the search for the new Kogod dean, who will be announced in April and in place by July. He also noted the University College pilot is “moving along.” Seven professors have committed to the program and Kerwin hopes to recruit 125 students from next year’s freshman class to participate in the seminars. Finally, Kerwin said AU is on track to receive “a historic number of freshman applications.” As of Jan. 31, the university had received 1,000 more applications than the same time last year. He also noted that the quality of the applicants is stronger; the average SAT score is 20 points higher, and the average GPA is one-tenth of one percent higher. |
