Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University's governing board has approved the smallest student fee increases in 12 years.

Increases of 3.5 percent passed by the ISU Board of Trustees Friday for each of the next two years reflect the smallest percentage increase since 2000. Indiana residents enrolled as full-time students for the 2011-12 will pay $3,891 per semester, an increase of $134. Total tuition and fees for 2012-13 will be $4,030 per semester.

"While we had hoped for an even smaller increase, and in fact tried to make a lesser amount work, we found that we could not do so and still maintain the progress necessary to achieve the goals of our strategic plan and ensure a quality education," university President Dan Bradley said. "ISU remains the most affordable of Indiana's public research institutions. Maintaining affordability and quality are our prime considerations. Consistent with past practice, we are increasing institutional financial aid for eligible students by 3.5 percent."

The university will continue to search for and implement operational changes that reduce costs to keep tuition affordable, Bradley said.

Trustees approved a fiscal 2012 budget totaling $143.6 million, a reduction of 0.5 percent from the current year. The budget reflects nearly $2.3 million in reallocations, partially offsetting a nearly $3.9 million cut in state funding

"During the past three years, ISU's state appropriation has declined by more than $9.2 million, or about 12 percent and the latest cuts bring the university's state appropriation down to 1996 levels," said Diann McKee, vice president for business affairs and finance. "Indiana State has made significant cuts in expenditures for the past several years to control costs and provide resources to address unavoidable increases in areas such as health care, utilities and repair and rehabilitation."

The budget includes a projected 3 percent increase for salaries. Trustees delegated authority for determining any actual increases to Bradley pending final fall enrollment numbers and an assessment of the university's overall budgetary conditions. The budget is built upon a projected 2 percent increase in enrollment.

An 8.5 percent increase in health insurance costs is expected but the board heard some good news concerning other insurance costs. Trustees approved a three-year contract for group life insurance with ING that reflects an 8 percent reduction in premiums over current coverage.

The board also approved a new three-year contract with The Hartford for long-term disability insurance at a savings of nearly 12 percent from the current contract.

Trustees passed a resolution giving university police officers authority throughout the state, as allowed under a new state law. ISU police have the same training as municipal and state police and currently have authority off-campus as special deputies of the Vigo County Sheriff's Department.

In a separate seminar Friday, Jack Maynard, ISU provost and vice president for academic affairs, reported on efforts to address areas trustees identified last fall as essential to continued university success.

Maynard said the strategic goals of community engagement and experiential learning are being implemented with assurance that faculty expectations are in line with those goals and that students in each undergraduate major have significant, culminating experiential learning opportunities; that substantial progress is being made in implementing an academic assessment plan; and that internal systems are being assessed to ensure there are no unintended barriers to timely student graduation.

In other action, ISU trustees:
• Approved a new two-year contract with the Terre Haute Transit Utility for the campus shuttle route
• Approved a contract amendment with Sodexo Services of Indiana for a meal plan for students residing in Candlewood Suites for the 2011-12 academic year
• Approved, in an effort to encourage professional engagement by faculty and staff, a modification of university policy removing limits on consultation fees employees can receive from outside sources.

Media contact and writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu