REGENTS TO CONSIDER INCREASE FOR ROOM-AND-BOARD CHARGES

Southeast Missouri State University students would pay 2.4 to 5.2 percent more to live on campus next school year, under a proposed fee plan.

The Board of Regents is scheduled to consider approving the fee plan when it meets Wednesday.

Students in the Towers complex and Greek housing would see larger fee increases than those living in the other campus residence halls.

Dr. Ken Dobbins, executive vice president, said those students would be charged more to help finance major renovations to the Towers complex and housing for fraternities and sororities.

Even without a major renovation project, the university annually raises room-and-board charges to keep pace with increased operating costs, Dobbins said.

"We worked very hard to minimize the increases," he said.

Room-and-board charges would range from $4,960 a year for a double-occupancy room in renovated Towers North and West to $3,910 in Dearmont.

Those figures are calculated on the basis of a standard 15-meal-a-week plan plus $80 in meal credits that can be used to buy additional food on campus.

Dearmont, which has been used in recent years for overflow housing only, would be reopened for regular student housing, said Dobbins.

Some of the rooms at Dearmont would accommodate two students. Others would be private rooms.

Freshmen could have private rooms in Dearmont, an option that isn't offered in the other residence halls, Dobbins said.

The public safety, residence life and purchasing offices would continue to be housed in Dearmont, he said.

The university wants to spend $11.6 million to renovate five residence halls in the Greek housing complex and the cafeteria and central facilities in the Towers complex.

The Greek housing complex would be air conditioned as part of the project.

The renovations to Towers would include an expanded computer lab, additional meeting rooms and dining space, improvements to the current dining area, handicapped accessibility improvements, and a new, 24-hour service desk.

The university administration will ask the regents Wednesday to approve the sale of $9.7 million in bonds to help fund the project. Southeast would provide the other $1.9 million.

Dobbins said the bonds would be retired over 30 years.

Room-rate increases needed to pay for the project would be phased in over three years, Dobbins said.

The university wants to renovate three of the Greek residence halls over the course of the next year, beginning in June.

Those three buildings would reopen next summer. The other two buildings would be closed for renovations in May or June 1999. They could reopen in January 2000.

Fraternity and sorority members would be moved into temporary quarters in Towers East and South while their regular residence halls are closed for renovations.

Room rates for renovated Greek housing are expected to increase 17.6 percent in fiscal 2000 and another 10.5 percent in fiscal 2001.

Students living in Greek housing in the 1998-1999 school year would see a 6.4 percent hike in the room rate, raising the annual charge to $2,500. Towers South and East residents would be charged an identical amount.

Dearmont could accommodate 204 students but is expected to house about 90 students.

In all, Southeast has space to house 2,053 in the coming school year, but school officials estimate that 1,755 students will live on campus.

The average occupancy rate in the residence halls is expected to be around 91 percent. Ninety-nine percent of the double occupancy rooms in the renovated Towers North and West are expected to be filled.

Southeast also owns two off-campus apartment buildings that have a 96 percent occupancy rate. The two Washington Street buildings combined have 18 units.

The university administration has proposed raising the monthly rent by 3 percent for those units, effective in August.

PROPOSED CHARGES

Proposed Room-and-board charges at SEMO for the 1998-1999 year

-- Towers North and West

Double occupancy suite

$4,960, 4.2 percent increase

Triple occupancy suite

$4,830, 4.1 percent increase

-- Towers South and East

$4,080, 4.1 percent increase

-- Myers

$4,250, 2.4 percent increase

-- Greek housing

$4,080, 5.2 percent increase

-- Dearmont

$3,910, 2.6 percent increase