Regents approve room-and-board fees, growth plan

Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents met Friday, Dec. 14, and approved a variety of staff proposals, including a new room-and-board fee schedule for the 2008-’09 school year.

Ray Courter, vice president for finance and support services, told the board that a number of factors had combined to make a rate increase necessary, including an approximate 2.5 percent increase in the cost of food items, salary and benefit increases for Dining Services staff, a 2.2 percent minimum wage increase and continuing upgrade and repair expenditures for residence halls.

On the residential side, students who opt for a traditional two-person room on campus will pay an additional $92 per trimester for a total of $1,925 as compared to $1,833 this year.

New per-trimester rates for other two-person residential options are listed below for both the current year and 2008-‘09. Higher fees apply to students who choose private living quarters.

Modified suites (2007-’08) $2,003 (2008-’09) $2,125

Hudson/Perrin
(new freshman complex) (2007-’08) $2,003 (2008-’09) $2,225

Tower Suites (2007-’08) $2,139 (2008-’09) $2,270

Forest Village Apartments $460/month (plus utilities), no change

The three by-the-trimester meal plans for traditional and suite residents will increase from $1,135 (Lite), $1,305 (Regular) and $1,475 (Super) to $1,200, $1,370 and $1,540. Students living in Forest Village Apartments can pay either $325 for an "apartments basic" dining plan or $650 for "apartments deluxe." Those rates will remain unchanged

University food court dining costs are typically lower for apartment residents because each unit is equipped with a kitchen where students can prepare their own meals. All of the University's meal plans are based on a declining balance system. Each time students purchase a meal, the cost is deducted from their dining account.

Actual amounts paid by students vary depending on the specific housing options and meal plans they select. Current students living with a roommate in a traditional residence hall and subscribing to the "Regular" meal plan pay $6,276 per academic year (fall and spring trimesters combined). That will increase to $6,590 when school starts in fall 2008.

In other business, the regents:

Approved a $7.9 million loan from the Northwest Foundation Inc. to finance renovations to Valk Hall and construction of a new studio theater space for the dramatic arts. Cost of the Valk project, which will add classrooms and faculty offices for the Department of History, Humanities, Philosophy and Political Science is $5.6 million. Cost of the theater, which will connect to the south side of the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts, is $4.3 million, which includes a $1.3 million donor gift.
Approved a strategic enrollment management plan designed to address the University’s growing student population and the associated impact on facilities, faculty and staff. If, as estimated, total enrollment grows by approximately 20 percent over the next five years, the plan calls for the incremental hiring of as many as 30 new faculty members. Northwest currently has about 250 faculty members serving 5,500 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students.
Approved a Faculty Senate proposal for new academic programs, including a bachelor of science degree in English emphasizing technical writing and online writing and publishing skills; a common core curriculum for all communication majors; and a learning outcomes assessment mechanism that would be integrated into junior-level assessment beginning in fall 2008.
Approved the fiscal year 2006-’07 independent financial audit of University accounting processes.
Approved a new position for the Regional Professional Development Center. Classified as a project assistant for eMints (enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies), the position is to be funded through the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone (660) 562-1704
Fax (660) 562-1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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