Elizabeth Erwin
News Editor
eerwin1@murraystate.edu
During a special meeting on May 1, the Board of Regents discussed the University budget for the upcoming academic year and approved the design plans for James H. Richmond Residential College.
Budget
The meeting began with further discussion about public universities becoming more privatized. This was an idea originally presented by President Bob Davies at the community town hall in early April.
“We are here to serve the community, we are here to provide access, we are here to provide service, all of which are part of a public notion,” Davies said. “The privatized part comes into the element that our largest investors, our largest revenue sources, are becoming our students and their families.”
Directly affecting students and their families, the budget recommendations included a 3 percent increase on tuition, housing and dining plans.
Health Services
Unchanged from the town hall, Health Services would not receive funding in the proposed budget.
However, Jackie Dudley, vice president of finance and administrative services, said the finance committee is working to identify an alternative option that would not be directly funded through the University.
Course Fees
Fees for courses will also be affected by the recommendations.
The online web course fee for undergraduate students would increase by $10 per credit hour.
Meanwhile, the online web course fee for graduate courses would be set at a flat rate of $100 per credit hour. This flat fee would replace the current 130 percent tuition formula that calculates graduate web course fees.
The recommendation would save graduate students $28 per credit hour for online courses.
Traditional course fees would also be impacted, with 700 courses potentially adding or increasing course fees.
“The course fees were designed to offset things,” Mark Arant, provost and vice president of academic affairs said. “They were not intended to generate new revenue for the department. Course fees are allocated funds that are generated by the department for the department.”
Affecting the incoming freshman class, the transitions waiver that allows freshmen taking over 15 credit hours to take the required transitions course for free would also be eliminated.
Parking
“We’re hoping to make some zone changes, and freshmen will have the opportunity to purchase a standard permit and will not be required to park at the stadium,” Dudley said.
It was proposed to the board to raise the parking pass price for the economy lot from $60 to $100. All other parking passes would cost $200.
Parking fee changes would also affect faculty and staff.
Currently, faculty members who have worked at Murray State for over 20 years receive a free parking pass. The proposal would change it to where parking passes would be offered at half cost, or $100, to those faculty members.
Faculty
The current proposal also does not provide a cost of living increase adjustment for faculty.
The sick bank which allows faculty members to donate one of their paid sick days for another faculty member to use, will be capped at 20 days.
The current cap on the sick bank is 100 days.
Academic programs are still being evaluated to see what programs will be reduced, reorganized or eliminated.
Outsourcing
The University rental fleet which provides vehicles for employees and students to use for off-campus University business and conferences is planned to be outsourced to a third party.
Other services under consideration of being outsourced to a private third party include dining services, postal services and buildings and grounds.
As a result of expected outsourcing, 145 positions will be removed from the University payroll.
The Board of Regents will have a follow-up budget session during their May 11 special meeting at which time they will vote on the recommendations.
James H. Richmond
Residential College
In the second part of the meeting, the Board of Regents approved the new design plan for James H. Richmond Residential College.
After receiving input from students, faculty and staff, architectural firm, Luckett & Farley presented a new design to the board that combined options B and C.
The new design will include a balcony space on the second floor and an open lobby. The new building will also allow for the same number of beds that Richmond had before.
The Luckett & Farley representatives were confident about the construction process remaining on schedule.
The new building is projected to open in Fall 2019.