BOT Passes $400 Tuition Increase

After presentations from Provost Robert Shelton, Young and Graduate and Professional Student Federation President Mikisha Brown, trustees debated the merits of a tuition increase for about an hour before they voted to send the task force's proposal -- unchanged -- to the UNC-system Board of Governors.

In 1999, the BOT heard a similar proposal from a task force, but it changed the recommendation from $1,500 over four years to $1,500 over five years before sending it to the BOG.

Chancellor James Moeser set the stage for the meeting in his opening remarks, which focused heavily on tuition, repeatedly stressing the importance of using tuition as only one of many sources of University revenue.

"I believe we have to adjust the margins (through a tuition increase), but I don't see that as our primary agenda," Moeser said. "Private support, corporate support -- that, in my view, is our real agenda."

Discussion of the tuition increase began just after 10 a.m., although the faint sound of shouting protesters outside the building could be heard for about 15 minutes before the issue was first raised by the trustees.

Shelton, co-chairman of the Task Force on Tuition along with Young, began by reviewing tuition information he presented to the BOT in November and then recapped the findings of the task force.

In three meetings, task force members drafted a set of guiding principles and a list of four uses of revenue from a tuition increase -- faculty salaries, a reduced faculty-student ratio, an increased number of small classes and support for graduate teaching assistants. The task force voted 11-4 in favor of the one-year, $400 proposal that the BOT passed Thursday.

Brown and Young then took the stage for a presentation of student concerns about the tuition-setting process.

"Decisions are being made about tuition, affecting every student on this campus -- we want to have a chance to share student opinion," Young said.

Most of the student concerns revolved around three points -- whether UNC will remain affordable, whether the N.C. General Assembly will continue to fund the University if tuition is raised and whether a tuition increase will solve UNC's financial shortfall.

Although Brown and Young did not present an alternative proposal, the battle of facts, figures and power continued as the two students spelled out eight student-generated principles that they said should be used in the tuition-setting process.

Young and Brown argued during their presentation that University officials were not adequately considering alternative sources of funding.

But Trustee Paul Fulton said officials are looking at other ways to generate revenue, such as the Carolina First Campaign. "To categorize tuition as the only resource we're looking at ... is either ignoring the facts or not being aware of them," he said. "But to think you're going to go (to the General Assembly) and do something that will dramatically change the support they give us is not a realistic view of the world."

Although some trustees briefly mentioned the idea of a multiyear tuition plan, they concluded that immediate action was necessary and that a long-term plan should be developed later. "We have to do what we have to do now, but we need to be sure we aren't in this position every year," said Trustee Rusty Carter.

Trustee Richard Stevens made a motion that the BOT adopt the principles, uses and proposal drafted by the task force and ask the administration to create a committee to review tuition and form a multiyear plan. Young then moved that the motion be amended to include the student-generated principles, but the motion died when no other trustee seconded it.

Young next moved that the vote be split into four individual motions because he wanted to vote in favor of the principles but not the tuition increase.

BOT Chairman Tim Burnett expressed his desire to move on with the meeting, but the motion passed, and four votes were taken. The principles, uses and review committee were unanimously approved, and Young was the only trustee to vote against the increase.

Burnett said he is glad the trustees passed the proposal and that he hopes the BOG also will accept it.

"I am satisfied (the issue of tuition) got a thorough airing," he said. "We have raised this institution to the top of public research universities in this country, and I don't think anyone wants it to slide back down."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.