SPORTS | PG 13
CAMPUS | PG 3
WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL MU TO AWARD MORE SHINES IN COMPETITION THAN 2,000 DEGREES
The Tigers wheelchair basketball team won Wednesday night, defeating the Missouri Predators by a final score of 64-20.
Alumni Robert Loggia and William Trogdon will receive degrees and speak at the ceremony.
THE MANEATER FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2011 | VOLUME 78 | ISSUE 28
THE STUDENT VOICE OF MU SINCE 1955
WWW.THEMANEATER.COM
MSA
MSA to fund 3 new positions ELISE MOSER Staff Writer
TREACHEROUS
CONDITIONS — See SNOW page 7
NAVEEN MAHADEVAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Cars slowly drive down Elm Street in Columbia near the Columbia Missourian. There were 199 vehicle accidents Tuesday morning as a result of the slick roads.
RESIDENCE HALLS ASSOCIATION
TUITION
RHA redistributes MU could raise tuition without state waiver social fee funds ALEX STEWART Staff Writer The Residence Halls Association Congress approved legislation Monday to reallocate Residential Life’s $15-per-semester social fee. For the past several years, the funds allowed $3.65 to hall governments, $7 to floor governments and $4.35 to the RHA out of every $15. After the change, effective fall 2012, $4.90 will go to hall governments, $4.50 to floor governments and $5.60 to RHA. Of every $15 social fee paid, RHA and hall governments will receive $1.25 more than before and floor governments $2.50 less. The reason for this change is a lack of spending at the floor government level. “RHA Congress has seen high rollover from semester to semester, especially in floor and hall govern-
FEE REALLOCATION RHA approved legislation to reallocate Residential Life's social fee. Before reallocation
After reallocation
Hall governments
$3.64
+$1.26
$4.90
Floor governments
$7.00
- $2.50
$4.50
RHA
$4.35
+$1.25
$5.60
The social fee is $15
Source: RHA CASEY PURCELLA | GRAPHICS ASSISTANT
ments,” RHA President Chris Rucker said. These rollovers every semester quickly add up to thousands of unused dollars, Rucker said. During the fall 2010 semester, when Rucker was RHA Treasurer, the organization performed its first audit of every level of Residential Life government. What it found was a lot
See RHA, page 6
WES DUPLANTIER Senior Staff Writer With inflation in the overall economy trending at about 3.5 percent, UM System schools and other public universities in the state might be able to raise tuition for next year without applying for waivers from the state’s higher education department. Earlier this year, the state Legislature voted to cut higher education funding by about 7 percent, which could force MU and other state universities to raise tuition costs for next school year to cover its operating costs. In a previous Maneater article, MU Budget Director Tim Rooney said tuition could be increased by 3 percent next year. Rooney said in an email that the final figure for an increase will depend on whether the governor recommends that universities be given
all of what was appropriated to them. Even though the state Legislature has appropriated money for higher education, Gov. Jay Nixon can withhold part of that money if the state’s revenues drop. Rooney said if the state does not decrease the university’s appropriation, he anticipates the increase would be about equal to inflation. “If we increase tuition by a rate equal to inflation, but the state doesn’t increase their support by inflation, we will lose ground,” he said. “However, if state funding is flat, we believe we can still balance the budget, but that will be more difficult if the state actually reduces our funding.” But a state law passed in 2007 says public universities cannot raise tuition by more than the rate of inflation without a waiver from the state’s Department of Higher Education. During last school year, the UM
See TUITION, page 6
The Missouri Students Association created three new paid positions after Wednesday’s Senate vote allowed it to fund the positions from several existing budgets. The reallocation of funds will create a position for an MUTV and KCOU media adviser, a parttime legal adviser for Student Legal Services and a part-time technology assistant for MSA and the Graduate Professional Council. Funds will be pulled from four budgets: $13,500 from contingency and reserve, $3,000 from STRIPES rental fees, $2,000 from KCOU supplies and $2,000 from MSA Senate operating. Representatives from KCOU, Student Legal Services and MSA expressed the need for these positions. Student Legal Services coordinator Steve Concannon said he is overwhelmed by students using the service. He said he has even had to turn students away. He also said that as a lawyer, he could only legally take on so many cases at once. “It’s a choice between turning students away or losing my license,” he said. The part-time legal advisor would help to lighten Concannon’s case load and allow for more students to be helped. Farouk Aregbe, KCOU adviser and student government coordinator, said he hopes the media adviser position would help KCOU and
See NEW, page 6
INSIDE TIGERS GET WIN NO. 6 The Tigers made a 56-54 victory over Eastern Illinois. PG. 13, SPORTS
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