Chancellor Brady holds open forum

Chancellor Linda P. Brady held a student forum at noon on November 1 to discuss projected tuition and fee increases for the 2011-2012 school year, as well as to listen to recommendations and questions from concerned students.

The forum, which was held in the EUC’s Kirkland Room, also included explanations from Vice Provost Alan Boyette and Associate Vice Chancellor Cherry Callahan, who co-chairs the UNCG Tuition and Fee Committee.

Brady shared the preliminary, current proposal, which includes increases in both tuition and fees for students for the 2011-2012 school year.  If passed, it would mean each student would pay an additional annual rate of: $520 for in-state undergraduate students, $551 for in-state graduate students, $1,284 for out-of state undergraduate students, and $1,297 for out-of-state graduate students.

Boyette informed students that UNCG operated on budget revenue of $373 million for the 2009-2010 school year.  However, he warned that next year a reduction is inevitable, and that, “word out of Raleigh is we need to expect that reduction anywhere from five to 16 or 17 percent.”  A five percent cut would mean a loss of about $8.6 million dollars, whereas a 15 percent cut would mean a loss of up to $25.8 million.  An increase in tuition and fees would counterbalance the cuts.

The tuition sub-committee proposed increasing student tuition anywhere from $211 for in-state undergraduate students, to $988 for out-of-state graduate students.  Seventy percent of this would be used to offset the budget reductions for faculty, twenty-five percent to support financial aid, and five percent to support awards for graduates.

Projected increase for student fees has been estimated at $309 for the entire school year, for all students.  Callahan explained that these fees are not covered by state funding and are separated into general fees, Association of Student Government fees, and facilities fees.

General fees include student health, athletics, educational, activities, and technology fees.  Callahan explained that activities fees include support for the EUC, campus recreation center, ID services, safety escorts, as well as maintenance of facilities and other services.  The facilities fees are used specifically to cover debt incurred during facility renovations.  The ASG fees help support the entire UNC system student government.

“Informal sources tell us everybody [in the UNC system] is going up,” Callahan told students when explaining the projected fee increase.  Fee increases would be used specifically toward increasing athletic scholarships and toward hiring a pharmacy technician. 

A student asked if financial aid would be affected by the budget cuts.  One of the panel responded that UNCG will make every effort to ensure that students receive the funds they need to attend.  Also, efforts will be made to “admit fewer students next fall,” in order to reinforce quality of education and to have enough space.  SAT score requirements will be raised; however, the board said that this should have no impact on UNCG’s diversity.

Brady explained that the student fee sub-committee and tuition sub-committee met and gave their suggestions to the UNCG Tuition and Fee Committee, who passed them along to her in October.  The next process is to hear student concerns, then take them into consideration when the board of trustees committee meets on November 11, and when the full board of trustees meets on December 2.  Following these meetings, the board of governors meets February 11 to officially vote for tuition and fee increase.

Despite the February 11 date, Brady told students that it is, “unlikely we will know until July what our budget cut will be for next year.”