Proposed Tuition Increase

BOG rejects staff salary-aimed proposal,
approves scaled-down tuition increase
Staff salary improvements not on back burner, says Borkowski

John T. Bennett - Editor-in-Chief

The University of North Carolina Board of Governors rejected an Appalachian State University tuition increase proposal earlier this month, approving instead a scaled-down $50 tuition hike earmarked for instructional purposes and student financial aid.

“What the board tried to do was balance quality, accessibility and keeping costs down,” said Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski. “What prevailed was an overriding concern over the possibility [the Appalachian-spawned proposal] would place an undue burden on students.”

University administrators unsuccessfully petitioned the board for a $150 tuition increase with the aim of funneling those dollars to select staff salary improvements and student financial aid.

The BOG-mandated $50 amount will be added to a previously approved $150 tuition hike for next year that will drive tuition up $200 for the 2002-2003 academic session.

The $150 hike was passed last year by the board as the second year of a dual-installment $300 hike to bolster faculty pay.

The board also passed at the March 6 session an 8 percent statewide increase for in-state students and a 12 percent hike for non-residents.

All student charges must still gain the approval of the N.C. General Assembly, which is set to convene May 18.

While a determination of how those dollars will be allocated has yet to be made, the revenue generated from the bundled pair of tuition hikes must be used for academic programs and instruction as well as student financial aid, said Borkowski.

The chancellor said it is “simply too early” for university officials to say how dollars from next year’s total $200 tuition hike will be appropriated.

The fact the BOG limited the monies to academic instruction and financial aid eliminates university official’s original aim of boosting staff salaries.

Staff Council President Peggy Ellis expressed her appreciation of Borkowski’s efforts to up the wages of staff members but said she was very disappointed with the BOG’s decision to kill the staff salary-aimed proposal, adding the system’s governing body sent a clear message to staffers.

“I feel like [staff members] are as much a part of students’ learning experience as professors,” said Ellis, a staff member in the Department of Political Science/Criminal Justice.

“It sends [a message] to us that we’re not that important.”

Ellis also said she felt the board should have taken steps to improve staff salaries, especially with the possibility of no pay increases for state employees due to North Carolina’s on-going financial woes, a recent increase in state workers’ insurance plans and an expected boost in parking rates at Appalachian next year.

“I feel we’re here and not as appreciated or respected as everyone else,” said Ellis.

“It’s like [staff members] start walking on the right foot and the left foot gets shot out.”

Despite the setback, Borkowski vowed to continue pursuing dollars for staff pay raises.

With the state facing a massive budget shortfall of $1.4 to $1.6 billion, a pay raise for state employees is not expected next year.

Despite that monetary void, Borkowski said Appalachian officials would work with members of legislative committees on the issue as the General Assembly readies to come together in Raleigh later this spring.

“We’re certainly not going to put it on the back burner,” said Borkowski.

“We will continue to evaluate opportunities that may come available as the weeks progress where we might be able to accomplish this.”

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Police Beat

Police, traffic eye move to deck
Return to campus will benefit all, says police chief

Becky DiVerniero - Staff Writer

The Appalachian State University Police, along with the Department of Parking and Traffic, will move to new offices inside the yet-to-be completed Rivers Street Parking Deck sometime in early June, according to the office of Design and Construction.

“We knew we were going to have to bring [the police] back to campus,” said Jane Helm, vice chancellor of Business Affairs. “The parking deck is the ideal location.”

The police and traffic departments originally shared an office on campus but were separated when the building had to be knocked down to make way for the current steam plant in 1995. The University Police were moved to an office located off State Farm Road.

“It was explained to me that it was a temporary location pending funding to build a police station,” said University Police Chief Gunther Doerr.

Once funding was approved, several locations, such as in front of the post office, were proposed but later rejected.

The Office of Business Affairs, along with officials from Design and Construction, finally decided the new office would be located in the parking deck.

“It gets us back to the main part of campus,” said Doerr. “This will give greater access to the students.”

Both University Police and students will benefit from the move, said University Police Sgt. Stacy Sears.

“It will help decrease response time,” said Sears. “We definitely need to be back on campus.”

The traffic department began leasing a mobile home unit after they were moved out of the original building.

“It was intended to serve the traffic department only for a short period of time until the parking deck/police and traffic offices were completed,” said Allison Kemp, civil engineer of the Design and Construction department.

The regrouping of the police and the traffic department only makes sense, said Helm.

“They were originally in the same office, and they interact a lot,” said Helms. “[Also] the added security of the building is a primary factor.”

Barry Sauls, director of the Department of Parking and Traffic, said he believes the move will be a positive occasion for the department.

“Having the ASU Police next door will be great because we work together on many issues across campus, and they are a very valuable resource,” said Sauls.

“Also, students frequently come to our office trying to conduct police business and they are very disappointed to learn they have to go off the main campus … to do so.”

Another big advantage of the move will be the additional space, said Sauls.

“Currently, only a few people can squeeze into our lobby at one time,” said Sauls.

As for the current offices, it is unknown who will occupy the University Police’s building once the department moves out.

It is hoped, however, that the traffic department’s mobile home unit will be moved off campus for good, said Helm.

“It has not added to the beauty of the campus.”

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Students make journey to join statewide tuition hike protest

David Forbes - Staff Writer

Students bearing both signs with slogans such as “Keep Tuition Low” and “No Tuition Increase” and looks of disbelief assembled around the University of North Carolina system Board of Governors at its March 6 meeting.

The board had apparently just passed by a single vote a motion calling for the approval of a list of campus-based tuition increases, a move that would set tuition rates at 13 UNC system schools next year to levels determined by chancellor-submitted requests.

Then the announcement came from Secretary G. Irving Aldridge—the votes had been miscounted. The motion had actually tied, and therefore failed.

Had the motion passed, it would have given the go-ahead to an Appalachian State University administration-spawned $150 tuition hike aimed at boosting select staff salaries.

This tense moment preceded a similar one that saw the Appalachian State-proposed tuition hike plan designed to improve salaries for select SPA employees come to a vote.

But as the votes on that proposal were tallied, it was clear the governors had resoundingly rejected the proposed hike.

A total of four students in the crowd of protesters had come from Appalachian State, as part of the Student Government Association’s “Operation Tuition Remission.”

The protestors, all SGA members, had traveled three hours to attend the meeting and stood for nearly four hours while the BOG deliberated.

“I was just going to write a letter,” said junior Rachel Johnson. “But [SGA President Xan Harrington] spoke at the senate meeting last night, and his speech was very heartfelt, and very true that we need to stand up when we feel that something’s wrong.”

“I personally feel that it’s wrong for the university to use students to fund staff that are state-paid workers,” said Johnson.

“I felt as if I should represent other people that couldn’t go,” said freshman Kathleen Ratchford. “I felt strong going into the meeting. We were there for a good reason.”

The issue was a uniquely personal one for some of those protesting.

Johnson, a psychology major who balances 18 hours of classes and her duties as the senator from the Appalachian Popular Programming Society (A.P.P.S.) while working more than 40 hours a week to attend Appalachian State, said a hike would force her to choose between taking a second job and losing sleep, or taking a semester off from college.

“My best friend comes from out of state, and increases like this are really going to hit out-of-state students the hardest,” said Ratchford, a senator from Hoey Residence Hall.

“They provide diversity, which is pretty hard to come by here.”

The students’ feelings about the meeting itself were mixed.

While Johnson was impressed by points raised by Appalachian graduate Bradley Adcock, one of the only governors to oppose the majority of the increases, in general she was “pretty disappointed at the lack of concern [among board members] for the amount students have to pay.”

“I felt tuition was a word that was thrown around a lot,” said Johnson.

“The amount of money they were throwing around was nothing to them, because they obviously don’t have to pay it.”

“The best way to open doors is to have low, affordable tuition. I think half of [the governors] understand that, and half of them don’t,” agreed Ratchford.

“It’s important for people to realize the governors are not keeping their promises. Very few of them actually voiced a concern about the students’ welfare,” said Johnson.

“I think we definitely made an impact, though,” said Johnson. “More than once I caught eye contact [from one of the governors] looking over at us, then our signs. When someone just says they support something, but they’re not visible, it’s easy to brush aside. When someone’s standing right there, it’s hard to ignore.”

Johnson added she was “a little disappointed” at the turnout, however.

“I know it’s right in the middle of midterms, so I understand where a lot of students are coming from. But I’m disappointed at students who did say they were going to attend and didn’t,” she said. “It would have been nice to have more support at our backs visible to the Board of Governors.”

“We all struggled to come. We missed tests. We drove three hours,” said Ratchford.

“Even if there were only four people there—[University of North Carolina at Wilmington] only had four protestors there, too—it showed we care.”

Protestors from the various universities trickled out as the meeting continued, with the Appalachian contingent being among the only students to remain through the nearly four hours the board was in session.

“When I left the building, I was still in disbelief we’d won our part of it,” said Ratchford.

“My reaction was mostly ‘Thank God it’s over.’”

She paused for a moment before continuing. “But looking into the future, they’re going to continue this. Hopefully, we’ll be here next year too.”