SMSU planning to raise housing fees

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Southwest Missouri State is raising housing fees an average of 8.8 percent, and faculty members are asking for an increase in tuition.

The university's board of governors approved the housing fee increase Friday.

Students will pay an average of about $375 a year more -- about $4,660 for a regular room and meal plan and about $4,916 for a suite-style room and meal plan.

Don Aripoli, vice president for student affairs, told the board the rate increase was necessary to cover increased costs of operating and maintaining the dorms and to have money for emergency situations.

Meanwhile, the university's faculty senate approved a resolution asking for a tuition increase.

Southwest Missouri State's tuition is the lowest among Central Missouri State, Truman State, Southeast Missouri State and Northwest Missouri State universities.

The resolution, which faculty senate chairman Jim Giglio said passed 15-13 with one abstention, asks that the rate be raised so Southwest Missouri State has the second highest of that group.

Student body president Rafiel Warfield told the Board of Governors that he was insulted by the faculty senate's discussions on the tuition increase.

The discussion was "focused on money ... not on students," Warfield said.

Aripoli said housing fees will remain among the cheapest in the state and that the other universities are expected to also raise their fees later this year.

The university is planning millions of dollars in improvements for the dorms and apartments, including dining center and bathroom renovations and new carpeting.

About 3,700 Southwest Missouri State students live on campus, and the university has about 4,000 beds in the dorms.

But the renovations aren't going to come soon enough for Risa DePriest, Andrea Thurnau and Carrie Noel.

The three freshmen are moving out of their dorms next year and living on their own.

"We all are going to live somewhere else instead of living in an itty-bitty room," Noel said.