Category: Kosaku Narioka
Current university housing residents will have to draw lottery tickets early spring semester if they want to live on campus next fall.
The Department of Housing and Residential Life introduced a housing policy that will require students under the age of 20 with fewer than 30 credit hours to live on-campus. The students who graduated from high school within a year will be required to live on campus regardless of their credit hours. The new policy will take effect next fall.
University officials are planning to propose tuition and fee hikes at the system Board of Regents meeting in November, said Bill Nance, vice president for finance and support services.
The increase rates will likely be 5 percent for tuition and 2.5 percent for the fees that require no student referendum.
Those rates are the maximum allowed under the system policy set last November by the board.
This year, the university’s income will rise to about $415.7 million while the budget requirement is estimated to reach about $364.6 million.
Bill Nance, vice president for finance and support services, said the difference will be transferred to retirement of indebtedness and plant funds.
The Board of Regents approved Texas State’s operating budgets for fiscal year 2010 at its regular meeting late August at Sul Ross State University in Alpine. The meeting was taped.
Faculty, staff and hall residents should not expect to easily find parking in red and green zones as the number of valid permit holders far exceeds the amount of spaces available.
According to Parking Services, the valid red and green permits issued as of Sept. 11 reached 3,154 and 3,645, respectively, but the number of spaces stayed at 2,068 for red and 3,000 for green. Parking services released the figures for spaces Sept. 10.
University officials are having a difficult time raising funds for a new alumni center and library expansion projects, but are recieving gifts for education, athletics and new performing arts center.
The Pride in Action campaign has raised about $72 million as of May 13, 2009 since its inception in 2006, according to the campaign summary. The donations for the alumni center amounted to about $1 million, which made up 1.4 percent of the total. The contributions toward the library totaled about $1.6 million, or 2.3 percent.
University officials are likely to propose a tuition increase at the Board of Regents meeting in November.
William Nance, vice president for Finance and Support Services, said the planning is on going and university officials are looking at the financial needs in a few years.
“We have a 10-year campus master plan and long-range academic plans, so it doesn’t do any good to be making those plans long-range if you’re not analyzing the financing side — how that’s going to be funded,” he said.
The amount of some on-campus crimes increased in 2008 compared to the year before, according to statistics released on the Univeristy Police Department’s Web site.
Forcible sex offenses increased from six to 10, larceny jumped from 138 to 200 and drug law violations went from 100 to 144. Some crimes saw a decrease. The number of minor in possession citations dropped from 207 to 184.
UPD Capt. Paul Chapa said one incident that occurred on campus last January led to six charges of sexual assault. He said one nonstudent went around groping women. The man was arrested.
Faculty members are concerned disparities between the regular exam schedule and that of the Office of Disability Services’ could lead to the leaking of exam questions to fellow classmates.
At the Faculty Senate meeting Wednesday, Sen. Steven Wilson said their concern is “security,” indicating students who take the test earlier can provide test questions to their peers.
Debra Feakes, Faculty Senate chair, said they are uncomfortable about giving a test on a day different from the date when the rest of the class takes the test.
Isaac Brewer, criminal justice senior, has a little less than $30,000 in student loans. He borrowed money to pay for college and living expenses and is headed for graduate school this year.
Brewer said he will pay off his debt in a few years, after he finishes his master’s degree.
Faculty Senate is considering a resolution opposing concealed handguns on campus.
Faculty Sen. Bill Stone said the senate is feeling pressure from fellow faculty members to pass a resolution opposing a joint bill in the House and Senate that, if passed, will allow license holders to carry handguns in classrooms.
Debra Feakes, Faculty Senate chair, said she receives more e-mails about gun control than any other issue on campus.
