2008 Woodie Awards
Board of Regents approves increase,
Emily Wuchner
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
Going into the Board of Regents meeting Friday, Student Regent Eric King knew the inevitable.
"In order to maintain that quality of education that students receive from Murray State, the inevitable was that tuition had to increase," King said.
After motions for a 9 percent, 4.5 percent and no increase failed, the Murray State Board of Regents ultimately approved a 6 percent tuition hike with a 6-3 vote during its meeting Friday. Regents Marilyn Buchanon, Peg Hays and Beverly Ford voted no and Vickie Travis and Laxmaiah Manchikanti were not present.
Though past student regents have voted against any increase in tuition, King said he knew tuition would increase so it was important to him to advocate for students and vote for the least amount of increase possible. King said voting for no increase would segregate him from any discussions centering around any increase. He said voting for a tuition freeze would mean he was unwilling to work with the regents and the University to keep tuition low.
"I think if you automatically say no increase, you're automatically segregated out of the conversation, you're automatically out," King said. "You're isolated into a conversation where you're saying there's no increase and ... the student regent always voted against it. That's not doing anything for the students. It's making a stand, but it isn't making an impact. While there's going to be a student regent to vote against it, there's going to be … others to say there's going to be an increase. So my plan was just to get into the conversation of what that increase should be."
King said with the increase, it is also inevitable the University will make cuts to areas on campus.
"This University, I think, is at a crossroads in the sense of deciding what value they have the most, what's the priority of values," King said. "We can still remain affordable while still maintaining our quality of education. So from that aspect, I think it is important that students be informed of that, of where we're at."
"In order to maintain that quality of education that students receive from Murray State, the inevitable was that tuition had to increase," King said.
After motions for a 9 percent, 4.5 percent and no increase failed, the Murray State Board of Regents ultimately approved a 6 percent tuition hike with a 6-3 vote during its meeting Friday. Regents Marilyn Buchanon, Peg Hays and Beverly Ford voted no and Vickie Travis and Laxmaiah Manchikanti were not present.
Though past student regents have voted against any increase in tuition, King said he knew tuition would increase so it was important to him to advocate for students and vote for the least amount of increase possible. King said voting for no increase would segregate him from any discussions centering around any increase. He said voting for a tuition freeze would mean he was unwilling to work with the regents and the University to keep tuition low.
"I think if you automatically say no increase, you're automatically segregated out of the conversation, you're automatically out," King said. "You're isolated into a conversation where you're saying there's no increase and ... the student regent always voted against it. That's not doing anything for the students. It's making a stand, but it isn't making an impact. While there's going to be a student regent to vote against it, there's going to be … others to say there's going to be an increase. So my plan was just to get into the conversation of what that increase should be."
King said with the increase, it is also inevitable the University will make cuts to areas on campus.
"This University, I think, is at a crossroads in the sense of deciding what value they have the most, what's the priority of values," King said. "We can still remain affordable while still maintaining our quality of education. So from that aspect, I think it is important that students be informed of that, of where we're at."
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