Trustees delay vote on undergraduate tuition, fees

The East Carolina University Board of Trustees approved an increase in tuition and fees for the Brody School of Medicine and the School of Business MBA/MSA programs Nov. 21 while delaying action on undergraduate tuition and fees for the 2009-10 academic year.

Trustees voted to raise the cost per credit hour for the MBA/MSA program from $60 to $100, and to increase tuition by $1,000 for all medical students at the Brody School of Medicine. Medical students now pay $7,144 yearly.

The changes must be approved by the UNC system’s Board of Governors.

ECU trustees will continue to discuss a proposed increase in tuition and fees for undergraduate students. They are tentatively scheduled to meet again on Dec. 11.

Chancellor Steve Ballard has asked to increase tuition and fees for in-state, undergraduate students by 2.41 percent or $94. Of that amount, $41 would go to financial aid, $17 to faculty salaries, $11 to programs such as the Pirate Tutoring Center that focus on student success and retention, $15 to athletics and $10 to Student Health Services.

Ballard said he recognized the difficult financial environment facing students and their parents and wanted to keep ECU’s tuition and fee increases well below the 6.5 percent cap mandated by the Board of Governors.

“I am trying to balance the quality of what happens here with the ability of kids in North Carolina, especially eastern North Carolina, to get the great educational services that East Carolina University affords this region and state,” Ballard said.

At a meeting of the Executive Committee on Nov. 20, trustees asked for more information and delayed a decision on the undergraduate tuition and fees until a special meeting to be held in early December.

Robert Greczyn, chair of the trustees, spoke to how these challenging economic times may affect the decision. “We have to decide, as a board of trustees, what is right for us in these times, recognizing the fact that we have to fulfill our access mission while trying to preserve the quality of this institution going forward,” he said.

In other news:

• Trustees approved the architectural elevations for the renovation of Scott Residence Hall and a new building to replace the Croatan, a campus dining location. The current Croatan will be demolished, and an 18,000 square-foot, two-story building will be built in the location.

• Trustees also approved a mission statement for the university. It is as follows:
To serve as a national model for public service and regional transformation by

— preparing our students to compete and succeed in the global economy and multicultural society,
— distinguishing ourselves by the ability to train and prepare leaders,
— creating a strong, sustainable future for Eastern North Carolina through education, research, innovation, investment and outreach,
— saving lives, curing diseases, and positively transforming health and health care,
— providing cultural enrichment and powerful inspiration as we work to sustain and improve quality of life.