Editorial:

Tuition increase could benefit faculty salaries

Published Oct. 23, 2009

The budget was on everyone's mind at this week's Fall General Faculty Council Meeting. Looking at the budget for next year, one of the proposed solutions to raise more money was a 3 to 5 percent tuition increase.

For this academic year, the average Missouri resident pays $8,500 for both semesters. This figure does not include room and board. The average out of state resident pays $18,850 for the year. With a 3 to 5 percent increase, this would go anywhere between $8,755 and $8,925 for Missouri residents. Out of state students could end up paying between $19,415.50 and $19,792.50.

There are a lot of reasons for this potential tuition hike. There are repairs that need to be made to various buildings on campus. Enrollment has skyrocketed in the past few years. But one of the biggest reasons for a rise in tuition is certainly faculty salaries.

In a study done by the American Association of University Professors last year, MU was ranked 33 out of 34 in average faculty salaries. Needless to say, that is not good.

If faculty salaries are raised, we can attract higher quality faculty and keep them at MU for a longer period of time, leading to a better education for all students.

We have to look at this in perspective, though. A 3 to 5 percent increase would not be a big deal for a majority of students on campus. Some schools in California are facing a 12 percent tuition increase.

In terms of the Big 12, MU has the third highest in-state tuition, behind only Baylor and the University of Texas. We have the fifth highest out-of-state tuition.

State appropriations were not as high as we had expected them to be. We were supposed to have received $728 million more than we did over the last eight years.

Everyone is stretched thin with the recession, but students have to make sacrifices if they want the university to stay competitive. A more competitive university leads to a better education for all students.

Last year, Gov. Jay Nixon promised he would not lower higher education funding if the university did not raise tuition. We stuck to that, but for the next academic year, we might have no other option than to raise tuition.

No one really wants to pay more, but the increase would not be terribly drastic. Students need to keep an open mind and remember it will benefit them in the long run to graduate from a more prominent, competitive university.