Mallory Hlava
Contributing writer
mhlava@murraystate.edu
The Board of Regents held a special meeting on April 5 to discuss changes to the budget.
Tuition rate increase
Jackie Dudley, vice president of finance and administrative services, previously discussed a 1- to 3-percent increase for undergraduate and graduate students at the March board meeting.
The motion was passed on April 5 to increase undergraduate tuition rates by 1 percent. This will add $42 per semester for resident students and $126 for non-resident students.
This will also decrease online graduate course fees from $100 to $50 per credit hour.
“Online education is becoming mainstream,” Mark Arant, vice president of academic affairs and provost said.“It’s no longer considered an add-on. It is now part of your basic infrastructure.”
The board will meet with the Council on Postsecondary Education on April 26 for approval of the tuition rate increase.
Housing and dining rates increase
The board also approved a 2 percent increase for housing and a 2.63 percent increase in dining.
The housing rate increase will affect students residing in H.C. Franklin, Lee Clark, J.H. Richmond, Hester, Hart, Elizabeth and College Courts.
Student Government Association President J.T. Payne expressed concern with the $110,000 cable contract for residence halls.
“I could probably count on one hand how many students I know that actually hook up to cable,” Payne said. “Most everybody watches Netflix and Hulu. For future years, if that’s a cost that can be eliminated or decreased then it’s worth looking into.”
With the 2.63 percent dining increase, Murray State still has the second-to-lowest dining costs compared to other universities in Kentucky at $1,930 a year.
Regional and non-resident tuition rates
The board is also working to condense regional tuition rates into one rate.
“We have regional rates for Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee,” Dudley said. “We are trying to consolidate those into a resident rate and then another rate for non-residents. The idea is to have a single non-resident rate or at least a discount rate that is common amongst all non-residents.”
This initiative would enhance recruiting, enrollment, retention and eliminate multiple undergraduate regional net tuition amounts.
Dean appointed
Claire Fuller, previous interim dean of Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology, was appointed by the board to serve as dean permanently. This was unanimously approved by the board.
“I have the extreme honor to recommend to hire Dr. Claire Fuller as the next dean of Jones College of Science, Engineering and Technology,” Arant said. “Claire has served this past year as interim dean, and has quite frankly done a phenomenal job… She has made some excellent decisions, asked wonderful questions, has the support of her colleagues.”
Fuller’s position as dean will go to effect as of July 1, 2019.
Employment contracts
A four-year contract for Matt McMahon, head coach of the men’s basketball team, was unanimously approved by the board.
“On behalf of the board, it’s important to note we can never really fully understand the impact this team has had on our University this year,” Susan Guess, chair of the board, said. “We can also not really adequately express our appreciation to them. I think it’s been so much more than winning. To me, it’s been about who they are as human beings, as a team, how they’ve represented themselves, the team and the University. I think they also shared what it is to be a Racer to those people who have never even been exposed to Murray State University… It’s important to thank the team and the coaching staff.”
They also unanimously approved contracts for the assistant men’s basketball coaches.
Facility projects
In addition to new restaurants on campus, the Curris Center parking lot will be expanded this summer.
They are currently looking for recommendations from a company to redesign the Curris Center and add major enhancements.
“It appears to me that the Curris Center refresh is going to serve multiple functions because that’s the picture you always see of Murray State of the students in that center,” Regent Don Tharpe said. “If that place gets refurbished, I think it will go a long way to improving the marketing.”
J.H. Richmond College will be completed and the Fine Arts building will also be pressure washed and possibly painted.
Position eliminations
Arant said one of his associate provost positions will be cut.
Katherine Farmer, faculty regent, asked if the cuts to the provost office will hurt Arant’s ability to assist the colleges in accomplishing projects and day-to-day instructional activities.
“Obviously, any time you pull resources from anything, it’s going to offer up challenges,” Arant said. “It’s also going to offer opportunity. It’s going to be a challenge. But, one thing, since I’ve been here almost two years, I’ve seen about Murray State is they’re committed to their students. We’re going to do everything we can to continue and amplify the success of our students.”
The board’s next meeting will take place on June 7.