Board of Regents to raise tuition again later this spring – The Daily Evergreen

Board considers impact on nonresident students, state laws; Enrollment is declining across campus

MEETING SCREENSHOT

As enrollments fall, the Board of Regents plans to increase tuition later this spring.

At its meeting this week, the Board of Regents proposed a 2.5% increase in tuition fees for the 2022-2023 academic year for undergraduate, graduate and non-resident students.

The proposed increase will be approved in May. In the meantime, the board will review the impact of the tuition increase on non-resident students and identify funds that students can access to help offset the new cost.

Washington law restricts the tuition increases WSU can implement, so the board will continue to follow legal guidance on the matter through May.

action items

The board voted to increase parking fees and fines for all WSU campuses. The current fines can be found here WSU Transportation Services fine schedule.

The new fine rates can increase by up to an average of 10% for all types of parking permits, with some fines reaching as high as $50 Board of Regents meeting papers.

The board also approved a $2.7 million project budget increase for the Life Sciences Building at WSU Vancouver, increasing the budgeted amount for the project to $59.8 million.

The Board voted to rename the Indoor Practice Facility the Taylor Sports Complex. The Taylor family donated $7 million to the project, which is still under development.

The board also voted to discontinue the Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design at WSU Spokane and add a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry on the WSU Vancouver campus. They also renamed the master’s and doctoral degrees in “veterinary science” to “biomedical sciences.”

reports

In his report to the board, President Kirk Schulz said public universities across the country are struggling with enrollment. WSU’s system was down about 1,000 students compared to a year ago, he said.

As WSU sees a spike in COVID-19 cases, Schulz said he wants to get as much experience as possible in person.

“Until now, we haven’t had transmission in any classroom or learning environment,” he said. “Where we have transmission problems it’s typically things related to the home or after-hours activities – not inside the classroom, the classroom environment is still very safe.”

In January, Everett and Vancouver college enrollments were down 10% from last spring; however, applications for the fall semester are up 24%, said WSU Everett Chancellor Paul Pitre.

The Faculty Senate reported a temporary suspension of Rule 38B, which barred first-time freshmen from WSU if their semester GPA is below 1.0.

The policy was originally meant to snag students who weren’t ready for the college’s responsibilities, but faculty senators ruled students could be negatively impacted during the pandemic. Students who may need more help should not be taken back, said Senate Chair Doug Call.