Students, administrators talk tuition

Students and administrators discussed potential increases in student tuition at a special USG meeting Tuesday night.

The meeting was the last opportunity for students to make their opinions about a potential tuition increase known to the administration before the Board of Trustees meeting on March 10, at which the tuition for the next academic year will be decided.

Both parties met in Konover Auditorium to critique the four preliminary options presented so far.

The four options were briefly described in an e-mail, dated Friday, Feb. 20, that was sent to all students.

About a week ago, the student body given the opportunity to vote in an online poll created by the USG to inform the administration of student preferences.

"I have to go and find out what my constituents want," said Meredith Zaritheny, USG president.

Poll results will not be released until 5 p.m today.

President Michael J. Hogan spoke first Tuesday night. His remarks focused on the many positive attributes of the University of Connecticut - and it's student body - that will allow tuition to avoid a percent increase in the double digits, like the 12 percent increase in tuition that will take effect next year at the University of Massachusetts.

Hogan noted the decrease in UConn - related state spending over the last several decades-having declined from 75 to 35 percent - and the predicted loss of $50 million in state funding during the next two fiscal years.

"We are a state-assisted university on the way to being a state located and state funded university," said Hogan about his hopes for an eventual return of state funding to UConn with the cooperation of various important state legislators.

Potential cuts were discussed, many of which included peripheral programs such as student employment. Approximately 25 percent of UConn students work on campus, costing the university $1.2 million in payroll every week.

Hogan also noted that if the Board of Trustees decided on an 8.67 percent increase each in-state student would only pay an additional $92 per semester on top of the conventional 6 percent tuition increase caused by inflation.

However, several students emphasized the fact that out-of-state students will pay significantly more if the proposed tuition increases are adopted.

After Hogan's address, students questioned a panel of four administrators, including Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Richard Gray, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Barry Feldman, Vice President for Student Affairs John Saddlemire and President's Chief of Staff Lisa Troyer..

One student at Hartford regional campus commuted to the meeting to represent the campus's views about the budget. Other students raised issues with potential budget cuts, claiming that there was not enough transparency and that students should have some input regarding which services should be curtailed.

The administrators noted that the preliminary tuition increases were not based off of the finalized budget for the fiscal year. Tuition is only one of the university's three main sources of funding; the other two being the state and private donors.

For those who missed the meeting but still want to have an opportunity to voice an opinion regarding the tuition increase, the Board of Trustees will be hosting a public meeting on March 10. All guests are welcome to relate their questions or concerns to the Board of Trustees before the tuition increase is voted on.

The finalized budget for the next fiscal year will not be available until August.

Eds. Note: A correction was appended to this story at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009.

In the print edition of the story, we mistakenly identified Chief of Staff Lisa Troyer as Associate Vice Provost Veronica Makowsky, and as Virginia Hogan, wife of UConn President Michael Hogan, in the caption accompanying the photo. Both have been corrected to correctly identify Troyer. The Daily Campus apologizes for any confusion this misidentification may have caused.