By Katie Wang
Daily Staff Reporter
Students living in residence halls next year may face a hike in housing rates if the University Board of Regents approves a 4-percent increase at its monthly meeting on Friday.
University Housing and the Division of Student Affairs will place before the regents a proposal to increase room-and-board rates, as well as family housing rental rates, by 4 percent.
This request includes a 3-percent inflationary increase to maintain current programs and service levels. An additional 1-percent increase is included to meet debt service requirements for renovation projects at Alice Lloyd and Couzens residence halls.
"I think it is a fair increase, it's in line with inflation," said Seth Myers, an LSA first-year student. "I don't think it's anything outrageous."
Myers is a member of the Single Student Housing Rate Study Committee, a student-run group that has backed the increase.
A student living in a double will see an increase in the room rate from $5,137.44 to $5,342 if the proposal is approved.
Room-and-board rates have increased by 20 percent since the 1991-1992 school year. In 1991, the cost of room and board for a double room was $4,084.
"You can get much nicer, larger apartments than campus housing for much less," LSA sophomore Kate Montgomery said when she heard of the proposed increase.
LSA sophomore Juliane Morian said she is satisfied with the current room-and-board rates for her single room in Helen Newberry residence hall, but said she would not continue to live in the residence hall if a hike in the rates occurs.
"I don't think they're too expensive now, but the increase is going to deter people from living in the residence halls," Morian said. "I don't think I would live in the dorm next year if I had to pay more."
Students living in family housing may face a fee hike of about 3.9 percent, if the increase is approved. This includes a 2.9-percent inflationary increase and an additional 1-percent increase for debt service, a utilities infrastructure project.
This week's regents meeting also marks the first meeting where President Lee Bollinger will preside.
Bollinger said he is looking forward to working with the regents and already has met with each of them individually.
"There is a surprising amount of institutional knowledge in that group of individuals," he said. "I am very pleased with how much they know about the institution. I think they have tremendous knowledge of what it means to be a board of an excellent institution of higher education.
"These are just outstanding individuals," he added.
Bollinger will join Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Flint) and S. Martin Taylor (D-Grosse Ile), who took their posts at last month's regents meeting, as new faces in the Regents' Room in the Fleming Administration Building.
Maynard and Taylor filled spots vacated by former regents Nellie Varner (D-Detroit) and Deane Baker (R-Ann Arbor).
-Daily Staff Reporter Heather Kamins contributed to this report.