Students at U. Oklahoma could face a 4.5-percent tuition increase for the upcoming school year.

The OU Board of Regents will consider a proposal to raise tuition when they meet Wednesday in Ardmore.

Under the proposal, the average in-state undergraduate would pay $6,784 in tuition and fees for 30 credit hours. That’s about $291 more than in the 2009-10 school year.

Nonresident students would see their rates climb by about $741 to $17,215, according to the proposal.

If approved by the regents, these tuition and mandatory student fee increases will be forwarded for consideration to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

OU, like other state schools, did not raise tuition rates for the 2009-10 school year. The university said it received a 3.3-percent mid-year decrease in state appropriations and an additional 1.8-percent cut for the upcoming fiscal year.

Other items

The regents also will discuss a bicycle pathway for the university’s research campus and the construction of a clean room for Devon Energy Hall on the Norman campus, according to the agenda.

Under the bicycle pathway proposal, the university would construct a bicycle path to connect the research campus with the main campus.

The proposed pathway will link the intersection of Jenkins Avenue and Stinson Street to the southern end of Lawrence Avenue. The path would use existing paved surfaces and roadways, according to a press release.

The regents also will consider the construction of a 3,000-square foot clean room facility on the Devon Energy Hall’s fifth floor. The room would provide research capabilities that do not exist on campus, the proposal states.

The meeting begins at 4:15 p.m. today at the Noble Conference Center and Pavilion, 2510 Highway 199E, in Ardmore.

The Board of Regents will discuss proposals submitted by Cameron University and Rogers State University during today’s session, and will consider all OU items starting at 9 a.m. Wednesday.