Western Kentucky U. students will be paying 5 percent more for resident undergraduate tuition under the 2010-2011 budget approved by the Board of Regents Friday morning.
Regents also approved the slate of officers for 2010-2011, and Chair Jim Meyer briefly discussed President Gary Ransdell’s performance review.
In April, the Council on Postsecondary Education approved 5 percent as the maximum resident undergraduate tuition and fees increase for 2010-2011 at the state’s comprehensive universities, according to agenda materials.
But each institution can be more flexible when setting nonresident and graduate rates. Resident graduate tuition and fees are being increased 5 percent, and nonresident rates are being increased 6 percent.
Resident undergraduate tuition will increase from $3,600 in 2009-2010 to $3,780 in 2010-2011, according to the materials.
Ann Mead, vice president for Finance and Administration, presented board members with budget information for the upcoming fiscal year. Ransdell congratulated Mead and others who prepared the budget for getting it ready in such a short period of time. The state legislature didn’t approve a budget during its regular session this spring and met at the beginning of the summer for special session.
The approved budget totals more than $381.7, an 8.4 increase from 2009-2010, according to the materials. Tuition and fees account for 40.8 percent of the budget.
Mead said the $4.4 million in federal stimulus money in the approved budget will not be available in fiscal year 2012, and if state money isn’t available to fill that hole, Western will face a budget reduction of $4.4 million.
“I trust that the General Assembly will be able to make us whole,” she said.
Fixed cost increases include retirement systems, unemployment compensation and faculty promotions. Other commitments include funding for new positions—an ADA websites compliance position and a technical director for the newly renovated Van Meter Hall—and funding for the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program.
The operating budget and tuition and fees were on the same action item at the meeting. Student Regent Kevin Smiley was the only regent who voted against the item. He said he would have voted for the budget if it had been considered separately, but voted against the entire item because of the tuition increase.
Regent Melissa Dennison, chair of the nominating committee for the 2010-2011 board slate of officer recommendations, recommended that Meyer and regents Yevette Haskins and J. David Porter serve second terms as chair, vice chair and secretary, respectively, and that Mead continue to serve as treasurer.
Meyer said that the majority of the regents gave Ransdell solid performance reviews and that in a time of severe economic instability, Ransdell has kept the university moving forward.
The board will meet on July 30 for its third quarterly meeting.