Tuition and budget

As part of planning the university’s budget for the upcoming school year, the board will discuss potential tuition increases.

At the board’s July meeting last year, it was agreed tuition would be increased as much as 10.1 percent over the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years for in-state students.

Last year, tuition increased 5.2 percent, and a 4.9 percent increase would be implemented this year according to the plan.

“Those guidelines are part of this year’s review as well,” university spokesman Terry Denbow said.
“Guidelines are guidelines, but you respond with the best information you have at hand and how that information and your commitment to value and access can best be met.”

Balancing the budget might be difficult, as MSU officials do not yet know the exact amount of funding the university will receive from the state.

The state House recently voted to maintain university appropriations at 2009-10 levels, forsaking a Senate recommendation to decrease appropriations by 3.1 percent.

The legislative bodies now must go into conference committee at an indeterminate time to reconcile differences.

Morrill Hall and Wells Hall addition

Morrill Hall might be demolished in March 2013 if the board votes to approve a $38 million project that would relocate several campus departments from Morrill to a new addition planned for Wells Hall.

Morrill, which is more than a century old, is proposed for demolition partly due to potential hazards associated with the structure.

The majority of classrooms and offices in Morrill would be transferred to Wells Hall if the board votes to move forward with the plan.

“There were quite a lot of options looked at as a concept to take down Morrill Hall, and this one proved to be the most advantageous,” university engineer Robert Nestle said.

The addition to Wells Hall will be attached to the B Wing, which is primarily lecture halls and would be closed beginning September 2010.

“There will be some sidewalk removal throughout the way,” Nestle said.

“We situated that building so it has very little impact … on the site without detracting from the peoples’ park area because that’s just a great space.”

Minor renovations in the Old Horticulture Building also are included in the funding.

If the renovations are approved, the building will house the MSU Department of History, which currently is located in Morrill.

Shaw Hall dining

Permission will be sought at the meeting to plan renovations for a new dining hall in Shaw Hall.
The project would cost the university an estimated $11.7 million.

“Shaw is a highly popular residence hall,” said Tony Frewen, director of marketing communications for MSU’s Residential and Hospitality Services, in an e-mail.

“It is also very central to campus, seeing a great deal of traffic in the dining hall as a prime lunch spot for those making their way across campus.

“We need to enhance our ability to best handle the lunchtime demand.”