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- Volume 4 Issue 27 漏 Metropress April 21, 1982
Tuition hikes to surpass last year's Legislators' decision to determine exact increase r"
by Margaret A. Dubois
Decisions being made at the state legislature this week will hit the pocket of every college student in Colorado next fall. Students on the Auraria c~mpus, like .lhose on campuses across the state, can expect academic year 1982-83 tuition increases to surpass 1981-82 increases. This week the state legislature is comT pleting the appropriations or Long Bill. Various higher education officials, ex~ting increased funding of four to five ~rcent, speculate tuition increases of up to 25 percent. Based on speculative figures, students at CCD can expect a tuition increase of about three percent for every one percent increase in faculty and ad'i11inistrative staff salaries. MSC and UE::D students can expect an increase of at least 15 ercent.
Jim Weber, director of the state board for community colleges said it's difficult to estimate tuition increases at this point because the l~sl ature has not completed its Long Bill. When Weber's staff receives final figures from the state legislature it will draw up a recommended budget for CCD-A and the other community colleges. Weber said tuition will not be voted on until the board meets May 13 and 14. Last year the board increased community college tuitions by 12 percent. John Bliss, vice president for business and finance for the Consortium of State Colleges which governs MSC and Adams State, Mesa and Western State colleges, said the consortium board of trustees will consider tuition hikes when it meets April 29 and 30. Its budget subcommittee will meet the beginning of May to compose its recommendation, he
said. At this time Bliss expects tuition increases of about 15 percent compared to an increase in tuition last year of 121/2 percent. Though UCO Chancellor Gene Nordby was not available for comment on this matter, he has said UCO tuition will increase at least 15 percent. Both Bliss and Weber said the increase of four or five percent expected from the state legislature simply won't cover the increasing uncontrollable costs of higher education. For example, utility costs systemwide have increased about 30 percent and civil service salaries have increased about 13 percent this year, they said. Bliss noted that transfer costs from the institutions to operate AHEC have increased about 12 percent as well. The costs not met by the legislature
must be met by tuitio,i. "We must take what they (the legislators) give," Weber noted, "Tuition is the only factor that we have the ability to control." He said the community colleges board is very conscious of the 12 percent tuition increase it imposed last year and how it affects students but he said, "We must weigh this with the quality of instructional material and raises for the faculty." Neither Weber nor Bliss believe the legislature is picking on higher education; however. "The JBC does not have the money," Weber said. "We're convinced higher education was treated as fairly as any other element of state government." "The state revenue is close to deficit," Bliss said. "There's less funds for expenditure. Everyone is feeling the pinch."
路 Election snafu may be blessing
"I put the Coors isme on the ballot hopi ng that MSC students would demonstrate definitively that they don't want Coors on campus... " Loring Crepeau, ASMSC president
by R.P. Bellizzi The recent nullification of MSC student government elections may be a blessing in disguise for MSC students. The elections, held April 5-9, were declared invalid by election commissioner, Gene Watts, for several reasons. Perhaps the two most overwhelming factors were some students' inability to vote due to an inadequate voter list, and the appearance on the ballot of an apparent amendment asking voters whether Coors beer should be served oncampus in The Mission. Many more people could have voted had there been an adequate list of eligible students, according to Roberta
Resolution expected this week on CCD f acuity grievances b
by Lisa Dell'Amore
.I
CCD faculty members who filed a grievance against their administration for misappropriation of funds can expect a resolution this week from CCD President G. Owen Smith. . According to Keith Dallas, a CCD 1aculty spokesman, Owen's decision will end a two-year battle to force investigation into a transference of funds from institutional to administrative areas. "Frankly, I'd like to see it end right here, right now," Dallas said. "Certain(v I don't look forward to going to the
state board and hope I don't have to." Dallas claims that former CCD President Robert Lahti illegally used approximately $500,000 from Resident Instructional funding for use in administrative costs. Lahati also allowed the faculty to decrease to a ratio of 2.3 instructors per administrator, Dallas said. Because of the misallocation of funds, Dallas insists that CCD has an insufficient amount of instructors. "While administrative costs accelerated, class sizes increased and fulltime faculty positions _continued to continued on page 3
Smilnak, associate vice-president, Student Affairs. "It was, utterly, the wrong list," Smilnak said. Smilnak also attributes the low number of votes (65) to a lack of publicity for the elections. "There was a definite communication problem," Smilnak said. "People that could have helped weren't notified. Key areas weren't involved." The electiops have been put off until early in the fall semester so various problems can be worked out. "Admissions and Records has agree<) to help us by providing a proper list of students," Smilnak.said. "Also, students
from the computer center will help conduct a referendum concerning student fees immediately preceeding the election. That will help publicize the elections." The deci.Sion to nullify the elections was prompted by "several successful contestations," according to Watts. Patty Sigala, MSC M.E.Ch.A. president, contested the election, claiming the Coors amendment was snuck onto the ballot by Loring Crepeau, MSC student government president. "I don't like the fact that the issue appeared on the ballot," Sigala said. "Loring put it on without mentioning it to continued on page 4
A [L<JJ<JJCU ~~~~CD~~ 'Don't' Voice your opinion In
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