Council focuses on tuition, diversity
Published Feb. 23, 2007
Legislators and faculty members alike see the need to relieve the high tuition burden at MU. According to Marty Oetting, UM system director of governmental relations, help is not far off.
Oetting spoke at the Faculty Council meeting Thursday in regard to several legislative issues that affect the university.
"It is a very fluid time in the legislative process," Oetting said, referring to the plethora of issues that involve easing steadily rising tuition rates.
Oetting stressed how much the General Assembly wants to help with the problem, citing the UM system's "F" rating from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education regarding affordability.
The first step would be to increase the state's funding to the university by 4.2 percent to keep pace with inflation.
This measure would increase the university's funding to where it was in 2001, which was also the last time the budget was adjusted for inflation.
As most colleges, tuition rises twice as fast as inflation. Adjusting state funding would be the first step toward a more affordable MU.
But what the Faculty Council wants is not what Gov. Matt Blunt has in mind. Blunt proposed that MU funding be adjusted to the 2001 level within four years, which poses its own inflation problems.
The council also discussed the proposed higher education bill that would effectively consolidate two financial aid programs.
MU would receive a 50 percent increase in financial aid.
"We could be looking at a tripling of need-based financial aid," Oetting said.
Oetting said the House was enthusiastic about easing high tuition.
Another hot topic was the controversial Intellectual Diversity bill. Introduced by Rep. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, the bill was drafted in response to a Missouri State University professor asking a student to sign a letter to support legislation of gay adoption, despite her beliefs.
Many speculate this bill will not have a great effect at MU.
"We are in great shape in the way we handle these issues," Faculty Council Chairman Rex Campbell said.