MSU Students United sent a letter to President Lou Anna K. Simon on Monday afternoon, petitioning to freeze tuition rates for next year. MSU Students United sent a letter to President Lou Anna K. Simon on Monday afternoon, petitioning to freeze tuition rates for next year.
Jazz studies junior and Students United member Duncan Tarr said the petition included four main points: putting students’ education first, consulting student body about projects that are paid for through their tuition, addressing issues raised by student groups and immediately preventing tuition rates from increasing.
MSU Board of Trustees Chairman Joel Ferguson said administration will not react to the petition.
“We’re going to do what’s best for the university,” he said. “We know what we have to get done. If they want to freeze to get tuition rates to stay the same, (Students United should) talk to the legislature.”
Students United asked for Simon to respond to the petition publicly.
“We want her to come out and say ‘I endorse the tuition fees,’ or come out and say ‘I don’t endorse the tuition fees,’ and she has to deal with the repercussions of saying that publicly,” Tarr said.
University officials publicly acknowledged that they received the petition and appreciate feedback from students of the university, MSU spokesman Kent Cassella said in a statement Monday. He said the Board of Trustees does not yet know how the state budget will affect tuition rates.
“MSU is continuing to work with state lawmakers and the governor’s office on the state budget process,” Cassella said. “Once that budget is set, MSU’s Board of Trustees, which sets tuition rates at the university, will meet to decide on a final budget.”
Tarr said the petition had more than 3,000 student signatures.
In the letter, Tarr said the group included an outline of ways they felt disrespected by administration. He alleges there has been an ongoing trend of Simon not responding to the group’s actions.
Tarr said that the group will discuss their next order of action during their Wednesday meeting.
“If that is the way she really wants to go, then we will have to take action,” Tarr said.
