Megan

Brothers SMAD 210 Story #2- Board of Visitors Meeting 10/10/2011

JMUs Board of Visitors project future plans

On September 23, James Madison Universitys Board of Visitors drew up a strategic six-year institutional plan regarding tuition, new programs, and new facilities for the campus in the upcoming years. Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Mark Warner, Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Jerry Benson, and Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Charles King gave a presentation regarding possible tuition increases and additions to the JMU campus. All decisions that were made that night were part of a strictly hypothetical plan. The plan is being sent to the Virginia general assembly for approval. Included in the six-year plan was a possible budget proposal for the next few years. The plan isnt set in stone, says Rebecca Crossan, a Junior SMAD major who attended the meeting. It is a required proposal in which the BOV project increases in money spent, continues Crossan. Basically, she says, it is just a precaution to make sure we can get money from somewhere in the event that the Commonwealth of Virginia does not give us the funding we need.

If this occurred, tuition would have to increase over the next two years in order to pay for the new programs and facilities JMU anticipates introducing in upcoming years. Mr. Charles King explained the tuition increases in the six-year plan. For the 2012-13 school year, tuition for instate graduate and undergraduate students would increase by about 8.5%. Out of state students, both graduate and undergraduate, could expect a 5.6% increase. For the 2013-14 school year, instate tuition would increase by 3.0% and out of state tuition would increase by 1.2%. Again, King reiterated, the plan is created with the assumption of no state funds. Along with future budget plans, the BOV approved objectives for new facilities and programs that will benefit from the increased funds on campus. Funds, King says, would cover operation and maintenance of new facilities, utility costs, faculty and classified salary increases (which have not been increased in 4 years according to Crossan), enrollment growth resources, academic plan strategies, and library and technology enhancement. Mr. Jerry Benson further explained the future plans for JMU. For library and technology enhancements, Benson says, we would look for personnel and new equipment to support the library and IT departments. He also discussed plans to expand the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Health

graduates by allowing new majors in those fields. Along with that, he proposed objectives for developing new undergraduate major programs and graduate programs to increase student enrollment. He specifically states however, Funding for these activities and objectives is entirely dependent upon revenue from increased tuition and in state funding for the University. As Benson described the Universitys hypothetical plan, he stressed concerns and struggles with the possibility of tuition increases. The BOV continue to be sensitive about the cost of higher education. Benson said. Consideration of increases in tuition have and always will be a serious deliberative process. That being said however, students find the possibility of tuition increases hard to swallow. Meredith Wood, a Junior Communications Major, says I am so lucky to have my parents paying for college through a separate fund, but before we start paying the higher prices, I would like to see our money go towards something more substantial than a few thousands purple and yellow seats in the new, huge stadium.

Rebecca Crossan is paying her own way through college and claims, the thought of having to pay even a little more is stressful. In response to a potential increase in tuition, members of the BOV do not fear a drop in potential students. Benson confidently states, JMU has consistently fallen in the middle of all state universities in terms of tuition and fees. King agrees by saying JMU is a reasonably priced option for Virginia students and will continue to be in the future. Even Wood agrees by proclaiming, though tuition prices are important, I think quality of education overrides that and potential students will see that JMU is worth the extra dollars. In April, the BOV will make the proposal for the Universitys budget for the 2012-13 school year and any tuition and fee adjustments related to that budget.