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WIU Board Sets
Tuition Increase for 2002-2003 Academic Year
The WIU Board of Trustees approved an additional
$150 per semester tuition increase for incoming students and continuing
students not covered by the guaranteed cost program for the 2002-2003
academic year.
The increase is expected to generate approximately
$1,050,000 in additional operating resources for the fiscal year
starting July 1, 2002. The University operating budget for the
new year set at $93,668,900 by the General Assembly and Governor,
reflects a $1.8 million reduction from the veto session. Western's
original FY02 operating budget was $95,639,800.
Western's cost guarantee program provides
undergraduates with the same rate for tuition, fees, room and
board for a four-year period as long as the student maintains
continuous enrollment. Western is the only public university in
Illinois and one of a few in the country to offer the cost guarantee.
The new tuition rate will be $115.50 per semester hour. The addition
represents a total increase of 16.2 percent from the fall 2001
tuition rate of $99.40 per semester hour.
The Board also recommended a FY04 operating
budget of $112,704,600, approved student health insurance rates
and recommended two new degree proposals.
The budget requests for the fiscal year
starting July 1, 2003 includes additional resources to support
program expansion at the Quad Cities, technology infrastructure,
a new doctoral program in educational leadership and salary increases
for faculty and staff. Many of the FY04 program increases were
requested in the FY03 budget but were not funded due to the state
budget climate.
Capital budget recommendations for FY04
approved by the Board include funds to construct a multipurpose
facility including a performing arts center on the Macomb campus
at a cost of $32 million and a 61,000-square-foot addition to
the WIU-Quad Cities facility at an estimated cost of $20.6 million.
Budget recommendations from the WIU Board are forwarded to the
Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) for review and must
be approved by the General Assembly and Governor.
The Board approved a 12 percent increase
in the student health insurance rate setting the annual cost at
$348 per year. Phillips Swager Associates, Peoria, was hired at
a cost not to exceed $700,000 for architectural and engineering
and design work to prepare bid documents for a proposed new low-rise
residence hall on the site of the former Bennett Hall, which is
being demolished this summer. The estimated construction cost
of thenew residential facility is $6,300,000.
Western's Board recommended two new degree
programs, a bachelor of arts in African American studies and a
bachelor of fine arts in musical theatre. The African American
studies program would provide students the opportunity to understand
the cultural patterns, knowledge and behaviors that are not commonly
represented in Eurocentric education. The musical theatre program
would serve student career interests in combining the areas of
acting, singing and dance and offer placement in master of fine
arts programs. Both degree program requests will be forwarded
to the IBHE for review.
The next meeting of the WIU Board of Trustees
will be Sept. 13 in Macomb.
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