Ross says there will be no across-the-board cuts and that tuition will not see a significant increase
University President George Ross made two bold statements at Thursday’s Board of Trustees meeting.
He promised no across the board cuts and said “number two, we will not significantly increase tuition to address our financial challenges.”
These statements, in our opinion, are a great approach to budget cuts. It is the hope of the editorial board that Ross stays true to his word, and that he is held accountable for what he is proposing.
Administrators may say they’ll keep tuition increases at a minimum, but that doesn’t mean students have reason to believe it.
In 2005, students paid $213 per credit hour. Students currently pay $338 dollars per credit hour, a 63 percent increase over the past five years.
The CMU Promise, Ross’ brainchild, was likely a significant contributor to the hike.
The Promise put the university in a bind when students continued through their education at a constant pay rate while operating costs continued to rise.
Tuition has not readjusted since The Promise was disbanded, pushing tuition to an all-time high.
Tuition should not be increased more than 5 percent when Trustees make their decision this summer.
This would help keep an education at CMU a viable option for the cash-strapped students already enrolled.
If administrators talk retention, they must walk along the same lines.
If Ross really intends on not making budget cuts across the board, he will have to make sound judgments that won’t put the university in jeopardy.
This isn’t easy at a time when educational institutions across the state are pulling out the red pen to make tough budgetary decisions.
Ross should be mindful of the actions taken by competing institutions across the state.
Though each public university is different in its programs and class offerings, there are lessons to be learned from the thought processes of other educational leaders.
Each is struggling with the same percentage cuts to state appropriation, and is no stranger to the increases in operating costs from year to year.
The Board of Trustees voted to increase room and board, bringing the cost for students with an unlimited meal plan to $8,092 for the 2010-11 academic year from $7,896 this year.
Although the increase in room and board is small, it should not be raised again.
Students are already overburdened by high tuition rates and increasing anymore costs could affect enrollment.
All in all, Ross will have to be conservative with the university budget.
Will Ross stay true to his word? It will be tough to say with a tight budget crunch and rising expenses to run a university.
Whatever the outcome, he should be held accountable for what he offered to the public.
Keep the tuition increases low and be smart about spending the university’s budget.
