Board of Trustees Recap for June 14, 15

June 18, 2018

Editor’s Note: After each Board of Trustees meeting, Western Today provides a recap of decisions and discussion.

 

Trustees Approve 2018-19 Operating Budget, Tuition Rates


The Western Washington University Board of Trustees on Friday approved Western’s 2018-19 annual operating budget, which includes a 2.2 percent tuition increase for resident undergraduate students during the upcoming academic year.

In accordance with the state College Affordability Act of 2015, Western has the authority to raise resident undergraduate tuition by the average annual percentage growth rate in the median hourly wage for Washington for the previous 14 years as determined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For fiscal year 2018-19, this average rate is 2.2 percent.

The tuition increase, which will be reflected in fall tuition at Western, means an undergraduate student will pay $138 more a year. Resident undergraduate students made up about 88 percent of students at Western during the last academic year.

The increase follows a 2.2 percent increase in resident undergraduate tuition in 2017-18, which came after an overall 20 percent reduction in resident undergraduate tuition at Western over the two prior years. The state Legislature, as part of its 2015-2017 two-year biennial operating budget, mandated tuition reductions for state-funded resident undergraduates at public universities, which at Western was phased in with the 5 percent tuition reduction for the 2015-2016 academic year, followed by the additional 15 percent reduction during the 2016-17 academic year.

For the 2018-19 academic year, tuition rates also will increase 5 percent for non-resident undergraduates, 4.5 percent for resident graduate, non-resident graduate, resident MBA, and for resident and non-resident students in the Audiology and Speech Pathology programs. Non-resident tuition for the MBA program will be raised 30.6 percent, following research that shows Western’s current non-resident tuition rates are extremely low, compared to other universities.

Even with the increases, Western tuition rates in all categories still remain lower than most other public universities in the state. For example, resident undergraduate tuition at the University of Washington is 58.5 percent higher than at Western. For more information see this supporting information, which includes tuition comparisons.

Western’s 2018-19 state operating budget totals approximately $178.6 million. The Legislative session, which ended in March, provided the following new funding for Western:

• $1.3 million for a new degree program in Marine, Coastal and Watershed Sciences;

• $700,000 for an Early Childhood Education program on the Peninsula;

• $169,000 representing inflation on the previous years’ tuition backfill;

• $39,000 for textbook stipends for veterans; and

• One-time funding to: study the feasibility of creating a campus on the Peninsula; and integrate approved Native American Curriculum into Western’s teacher preparation programs.

The budget includes emergent budget requests, which can be viewed at: https://budgetoffice.wwu.edu/files/FINAL%20Full%20FY19%20VP%20Dean%20Budget%20Recommendation.pdf.

The trustees also approved approved 2018-2019 student fees, and 2018-2019 self-sustaining academic year tuition.

On the capital budget, the trustees approved the 2019-2021 capital budget request to the Legislature and the 2019-2029 Capital Plan. They also heard an update on Housing Capital Planning.

The trustees also approved a revised Collective Bargaining Agreement with the United Faculty of Western Washington. 

 

            In other business, the trustees:

  • Recognized Fulbright, Gilman, NOAA Hollings and Udall scholarship recipients.
  • Approved awarding an honorary doctorate to Western alumna Catharine R. Stimpson.
  • Recognized the service of Trista Truemper, student trustee. Trustees praised the many contributions and insights Truemper has made to the board.
  • Thanked outgoing AS Board President Simrun Chhabra and outgoing Faculty Senate President Allison Giffen for their service to the university in those roles.
  • Elected new board officers for the next two years. Current Board Chair Sue Sharpe presided over the ceremonial passing of the gavel to Trustee Earl Overstreet, the new Board chair.  Overstreet thanked Sharpe for her “outstanding leadership” while board chair, with other board members also expressing their appreciation. Trustee Chase Franklin will serve as board vice chair while Trustee John Meyer will serve as board secretary.
  • Heard a presentation on university marketing and branding by Donna Gibbs, WWU vice president for University Relations and Marketing. During winter and spring quarters, a group of WWU marketing and communications professionals in Admissions, Advancement and the Alumni Office, Extended Education and University Relations and Marketing, together with Marketing faculty in the College of Business and Economics, worked with Seattle advertising and branding agency DNA to define a unified brand positioning statement for WWU.  Trustees provided feedback, with several praising the work done thus far.
  • Heard an update on Western planning at the Bellingham waterfront by Donna Gibbs and Rob Fix, executive director of the Port of Bellingham. Fix described the present status of work on the 33-acre central waterfront district in Bellingham being developed by the Port. Western does not yet own the six-acre site designated for the university at the waterfront, and Gibbs said development of the site for WWU likely will entail a public-private funding combination.
  • Approved a new Washington Administrative Code (WAC) chapter on use of university property – freedom of expression and assembly, and an amended WAC on use of university facilities – scheduling. Trustees also approved an amended WAC on weapons and destructive devices and another amended WAC on waiver of tuition and fees.
  • Heard a presentation by Brian Sullivan, associate vice president for Business and Financial Affairs, and Paul Mueller, director of Risk, Compliance and Policy Services on Western’s Enterprise Risk Management program.
  • Approved a construction contract for the disAbility Resources for Students and Veteran Services project. Those offices will be moving from Old Main to Wilson Library.
  • Approved a contract to provide design services and construction administration for the Sciences Building Addition.
  • Approved the Board Rules of Operations revisions.
  • Meeting documents are available at the Board of Trustees website.
  • The dates for the next regular meeting of the Board of Trustees are Aug. 23 and 24.