Setting tuition for resident undergraduate students is the top item on the agenda for the Board of Trustees of the University of Oregon when it convenes for its spring meetings May 22 to 23.
The board set non-resident and graduate tuition at its winter meeting. Resident undergraduate tuition setting was delayed this year until May to provide the university with additional information about funding from the state legislature.
In his tuition proposal to the Board of Trustees, President Michael H. Schill recommended a graduated tuition schedule indexed to potential state funding levels. The increase would range from 4.45 percent to 9.68 percent based on the level of funding from the state to the public universes ranging from below $90 million to $120 million.
Schill is proposing a lower tuition schedule than what was recommended by the Tuition and Fee Advisory Board — a campus body made up of students, administrators, faculty and staff.
The board will also receive a report on the Public Employees Retirement System, which continues to be a major cost driver for the UO biennium over biennium.
As this meeting’s Academic Area in Focus segment, earth sciences professor Doug Toomey will share with the board “ShakeAlert, ALERTWildfire, and the Emerging Internet of (Wild) Things.” Toomey will discuss the underlying research of these valuable and potentially lifesaving tools that give advance warning of major earthquakes and help with the early detection of wildfires throughout the West.
The Finance and Facilities Committee will hear from Schill and Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer Jamie Moffitt about savings initiatives and expenditure reductions the university has undertaken this year to stem the growing budget deficit. Trustees will also dive into the semi-annual discussion on long-term financial planning, looking at various scenarios for the next several fiscal years.
Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management Roger Thompson and Assistant Vice President and Director of Student Housing Michael Griffel will brief the committee and seek preliminary funding for a project that will replace Hamilton and Walton halls with new residence halls along with a visitors’ center to help with student recruitment.
Athletic Director Rob Mullens and Deputy Athletic Director Eric Roedl will provide the annual report on the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, including revenue and cost overviews, a look at scholarship support and the $15 million in spending for student-athlete tuition, and overall performance metrics for the department.
The Executive and Audit Committee will discuss internal audit and enterprise risk issues, receive an update on UO’s ongoing improvements to IT infrastructure, and consider a new PhD proposal in planning and public affairs in the College of Design.
Committee meetings begin 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 22, at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, while the full board meeting gets underway 9:30 a.m. Thursday, May 23, at the Ford Alumni Center. Board meeting agenda and materials, as well as a live webcast link, are available at https://trustees.uoregon.edu/meetings.