$10.40 night parking fee up for trustee vote

Though questions still swirl around the reasons for an increase in parking costs for students, the Board of Trustees’ Finance and Infrastructure Committee opted to approve a contentious nighttime parking fee.

Though most items on the board agenda Wednesday were just under discussion, members did take UNC one step closer to tacking on a controversial $10.40 nighttime parking fee.

The board also signaled concern with several systemwide policies, including the shortened drop/add period, competency assessments and out-of-state tuition hikes.

Parking fee

The board’s Finance and Infrastructure Committee approved what Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jim Dean said was one of the most contentious student fees discussed this year. The $10.40 fee increase is intended to allow parking after 5 p.m. on campus — an amenity that is currently free. It will go before the full board today.

“It’s a question of whether everyone should pay a smaller fee or whether only certain students should pay $227,” he said. “After our (Tuition and Fee Advisory Task Force) meeting last week, Christy came back to me and said the students would actually approve this fee.”

Student Body President Christy Lambden said the fee would affect students, but not as much as the alternative: a $227 yearlong permit.

“It was a very reluctant approval of the $10.40 fee,” Lambden said.

The annual fee proposed by UNC’s Department of Public Safety only applies to students, and freshmen will be excluded from paying it.

Chancellor Carol Folt said the fee could help improve campus security.

“I think it’s a safety issue that at night people should be able to get as close as they can to the destination they’re going to, so I’m glad people can park close,” she said.

Budget reductions

The Board of Trustees also discussed budget cuts. The UNC Board of Governors mandated three reductions systemwide with about $66 million for management and flexibility, $16 million for infrastructure efficiencies and $10 million for operational and administrative efficiencies.

Reductions amounted to $44 million to UNC-CH, including cuts to the UNC School of Medicine and the Cancer Research Fund.

The cuts represent about half of the systemwide budget reductions.

Board members said the implications of this could include reduced support for compliance and safety, delayed technology purchases and reduced core library materials.

Talking tuition

UNC-system President Tom Ross said earlier this year that in-state tuition increases would only be necessary in an emergency case.

Dean said there would be no in-state tuition hikes at the undergraduate level next year.

“We did go back to Tom Ross’ office and asked, ‘Is this really what you mean?’” he said. “He said ‘Yes,’ no increases.”

But the board also discussed how the 12.3-percent increase to out-of-state tuition at UNC next year could impact the University and whether it could affect how many students enroll and apply.

“At what point do you hit the upper limits of what we can charge? Where is the break? We can’t be that far away,” said board member Charles Duckett.

Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions Steve Farmer said tuition hikes could be a deterrent to out-of-state students.

A survey conducted of 391 potential out-of-state students by admissions concluded that they are more likely to choose peer institutions before UNC when there is a high price tag.

“There’s no other place that’s quite been able to do what we’ve been able to pull off,” Farmer said.

Student affairs

Faculty have expressed concerns with systemwide changes like standardized assessments and the new drop/add period.

The board questioned why UNC-CH was not included on the committee that developed the shortened drop/add policy.

Faculty Chairwoman Jan Boxill said though UNC-CH did not have a representative on that committee, it has a representative now.

Groups such as UNC-CH’s Educational Policy Committee are working on small changes to the policy, such as grandfathering students in, she said.

“It was given to us without us,” Boxill said.

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