Tuition to rise 3.9 percent

With the stated intent of better competing with the Ivy Leagues and continuing to be on the cutting edge in technology and academics, the University Board of Regents approved a 3.9 percent tuition increase for the 1998-'99 school year.

Last Thursday, the administration proposed, and the Regents approved, by a vote of 6-1, the $890 million budget, $41 million more than last year's budget.

Students enrolled in the School of Literature, Science and the Arts will also have to pay an additional $30 per semester as a technology fee.

University Provost Nancy Cantor said the budget increase is necessary to maintain the University's quality education.

MICHELLE McCOMBS/Daily

"I am absolutely delighted by the University's support," Cantor said.

Faculty salaries, undergraduate education, information technology and the University library system dominate the budget for the upcoming year.

Included in the budget is a provision to expand living-learning communities, "to enable our students to cross-boundary their ideas of relationships and experiences," Cantor said.

Regent Andrea Fisher Newman (R-Ann Arbor) voted no on the budget, stating the University should not burden students with a tuition increase.

"Michigan is a great institution, and I want it to remain that way," Newman said. "I want it to be affordable. Therefore I agree with the mission, I do not agree with the way it's being funded."

Newman said the administration should explore other avenues of raising funds and "look at ways to control cost at the University. It's too high."

Cantor said the LSA fee allocated for information technology will help students "learn to experience intellectual activity in an explosive world. Every year this world gets more complicated."

Cantor said the University needs to increase the number of first-year seminars and keep classes small.

Regent Lawrence Deitch (D-Bloomfield Hills) said the University must continue to strive to be among the top institutions in the country. He added he was impressed that budget growth focused on individual academic units.

"We live in a real world," Deitch said. "We are competing with private institutions. I think it's our responsibility to ensure our continued excellence."

MSA Treasurer Bram Elias said he was disappointed students were not given input on the budget. He added that the administration did not give enough time to students and assembly to prepare to raise serious objections or support.

The assembly "is supposed to represent the student voice, and I feel underequiped," Elias said.

University President Lee Bollinger commented on how the state increased the level of appropriations by 4.2 percent last year. This year the state only offered a 2.3 percent increase. Bollinger said that since the University is a public institution with fewer resources it must be able to compete with other colleges. He added that faculty and staff are vulnerable to outside recruiting by universities that can afford to have higher wages.

"We live in a very competitive environment in higher education," Bollinger said. "In order to have the resources, we really need a 3.9 percent increase."

MSA President Trent Thompson said students' interests should be addressed. He added that the cost of an education at the University is very high.

"I strongly believe students should be involved in the budget process," Thompson said.

Cantor said the budget will feature a 4 to 5 percent increase in faculty salaries. She said University professors earn $10,000 less than teachers at other schools.

The '98-'99 budget will grow 4.9 percent this year in comparison to last year's. The rate of inflation was 2.3 percent in 1997, which means that, under state law, University students will not be able to qualify to gain a state tuition tax credit of as much as $375 offered to students whose colleges keep tuition and fees below the rate of inflation.

"I don't think the CPI (a measurement of inflation) is an appropriate measurement," said Regent Martin Taylor (D-Grosse Pointe).

Many members of the board said they were impressed with Cantor's presentation of the budget.

"Provost Cantor eloquently expressed the University's top priorities," said Regent Olivia Maynard (D-Goodrich), adding she felt comfortable supporting the proposed budget. "There is strong evidence that the administration is working hard to look at cost containment."

07-20-98