Southeast regents approve slight increase to tuition

The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents on Friday set tuition and general fees for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

The board approved a tuition increase of $1.81 per credit hour -- the allowable increase for Southeast determined by the Missouri Department of Higher Education -- but fees assessed to undergraduate resident students increase only by $1.75, bringing the cost per hour from $231.25 to $233.

Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration, said although the Missouri Legislature has not determined the funding level for higher education, the university's budget review committee worked on the assumption of a 1.43 percent increase in state appropriations for fiscal year 2016, which equates to a $669,042 increase for Southeast.

The board also approved increasing tuition by 0.65 percent on lower-division courses at the regional campuses, as well as increasing the technology and maintenance fee for the courses by $8 per credit hour, bringing the total rate to $150 per credit hour. Mangels said the revenue will help fund maintenance needs at regional campuses.

Special course fees, requested by departments to cover the cost of consumable supplies or other expenses that are unique to a course, also were adjusted.

An existing $10 special course fee on 13 courses within Polytechnic Studies was removed.

The board also reduced a special course fee on undergraduate courses in athletic training, computer science and nursing from $30 to $20 per credit hour.

A $20 per credit hour special course fee was added to undergraduate courses in theater and dance, music and the core courses for the business administration degree.

The board also increased the special course fee on private music lesson courses from $75 to $125 per credit hour, effective this fall, to more closely reflect the cost of noncredit private music lessons offered by the department, officials said.

Even with the fees set Friday, university officials said Southeast still is among the least expensive of comparable universities.

"Clearly, our key to success is to remain affordable," said board president Jay Knudtson. "I think this is validation of a continuing commitment to that effort."

The board also approved new programs, including a Bachelor of Science in public health, a Bachelor of Science in commercial multimedia and a Master of Arts in applied behavioral analysis, as well as a new minor in cybersecurity in business systems.

The regents also heard reports from the outgoing and incoming Faculty Senate chairs and Student Government presidents.

An update on contracts and facilities management projects and an overview of the spring break trip to the Center for Strategic and

International Studies were given.

University staff also provided brief reports on Southeast's branding rollout and the president's task force on diversity education.

klamb@semissourian.com

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