Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University trustees have approved a new tuition and fee schedule that university officials say maintains the value of an ISU education.

A 1.95 percent increase for each of the next two years means full-time in-state undergraduates will pay $4,290 per semester in tuition and mandatory fees for 2015-16, an increase of $82 per semester over last year, and $4,373 per semester in 2016-17, an increase of $83 per semester. No one from the public spoke during a June 1 public hearing on tuition rates.

"This increase reflects the minimum amount we feel is needed to continue to provide a quality education for growing numbers of students in the face of what have become annual reductions in state funding," university President Dan Bradley said. "Tuition and fees at Indiana State remain the most affordable of the state's four main residential institutions."

Diann McKee, senior vice president for finance and administration, said the increase will fund the university's strategic priorities, including student success initiatives, increases in such areas as health insurance and utilities , and allow for some deferred maintenance of campus facilities to be addressed.

Trustees also approved university budgets for 2015-16, including a $171.1 million general fund budget that reflects a 7.9 percent increase, primarily from the increase in tuition and fees and budgeted enrollment. State appropriations declined by $1.1 million from 2014-15. Student tuition now accounts for 53.2 percent of the total general fund budget, compared with 38.7 percent from state funding, McKee noted. A total of $526,424 was reallocated from 2014-15 base budgets to fund increases in compensation and other priority budget items.

The 2015-16 operating budget contains a projected 2 percent increase pool for salary adjustments plus amounts set aside for faculty and staff target salary programs. Criteria for any such adjustments will be determined once enrollment numbers are known for the fall semester and an assessment of overall budgetary conditions has been made. The minimum hourly rate for full-time benefit eligible employees will increase to $11 per hour, from the current minimum of $10.20 per hour. The budget also reflects a 2 percent increase in student wages and a 2 percent increase in university scholarships.

As part of continuing progress toward upgrading all student housing, trustees authorized McKee to secure final financing for the $20.75 million renovation of Blumberg Hall, scheduled for completion in fall 2016, and to move forward on the $23 million renovation of Cromwell Hall, to be completed by fall 2017.

Current plans call for the renovation of Rhoads Hall by 2018, completing work on the entire Sycamore Towers complex, which dates to the 1960s.

In other action, Indiana State University trustees:

• Elected board officers for 2015-16 with David Campbell of Indianapolis as chair, Ed Pease of Terre haute as vice chair,Tanya Bell of Brownsburg as secretary and Bob Baesler of Terre Haute as assistant secretary

• Approved new minors in elementary and secondary special education• Approved elimination of the information and design and end-user computing program in the Scott College of Business, due to low enrollment

• Approved a modification to the university's sexual misconduct policy to ensure compliance with Department of Education directives

• Approved a modified conflict of interest policy to cover financial as well as personal conflicts, replacing separate conflict of interest and nepotism policies

• Approved additions to the faculty and staff code of conduct to provide for the immediate reassignment of faculty or staff in certain circumstances and to formalize grievance procedures• Approved updates in the University Handbook concerning faculty appointment, promotion and tenure and modifications to Faculty Constitution bylaws

• Approved a change in the university's sick leave transfer program to allow employees to donate up to four weeks of leave per year to co-workers rather than the current limit of two weeks

• Approved changing the name of the Equal Opportunity Office to the Equal Opportunity and Title IX office

• Approved fee increases for new enrollees in the university's Child Care Center for 2015-16

• Approved academic laboratory and course specific fees for 2015-16

• Adopted resolutions recognizing the service of outgoing trustee Norm Lowery of Terre Haute, outgoing student trustee Erin Sluyter of Terre Haute and university staff member Barbara Landini, who plans to retire this summer after nearly 52 years of service.

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