News from the Graduate Student Association meeting, Thurs., 11/20/2014
Major news items on Tuition & Fees, which are made on a 2-year plan by UNCG administration. Plans for 2015-17 have just been approved. They will be sent on to the UNC system’s Board of Directors for final review and approval.
See current Tuition & Fees schedule (Spring 2015) here: http://csh.uncg.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Spring-2015-Fee.pdf
Student Fees Committee notice:
– For 2015-16, a 3.5% increase over 2014-15 rates has been approved.
– For 2016-17, a further 8% increase over 2015-16 rates has been approved. Two committee members, representing the GSA and the Chancellor respectively, dissented on this item, voting for a 5% increase.
– The GSA reports that the largest of the 7 fees areas (described here, http://sa.uncg.edu/about-student-fees/) to increase will be the Facilities/Debt Service (FDS) Fees. Facts about FDS Fees:
o What are FDS Fees?: ‘Pays for debt incurred on “capital projects” which cannot be built using state funds – for example: soccer stadium, student recreation center, baseball stadium, EUC renovation, student health center expansion/renovation.’ (http://sa.uncg.edu/about-student-fees/)
o Examples of recent ‘capital projects’ are listed on page 10 (ten) of the UNCG Business Affairs Annual Report, 2012-13, viewable here: http://baf.uncg.edu/office-of-business-affairs/
o Current 2014-15 rate for FDS Fees are $707 per academic year (for an undergraduate enrolled for 12 credit hours). This is higher than any other UNC school’s FDS Fees (see comparison chart,http://www.northcarolina.edu/sites/default/files/documents/2014-15_graduate_tuition_and_fees.pdf)
Tuition notice:
– For 2015-16, a 5% increase over 2014-15 rates has been approved.
– For 2016-17, a further 5% increase over 2015-16 rates has been approved.
– GSA is concerned about faculty salaries and the possibly unethical process by which faculty raises are sought and earned. Graduate students deserve the best teachers and the best teachers deserve a fair raise request process. GSA reports that faculty, in order to obtain a pay raise, must first apply for another teaching position at another university, obtain a salary quote for that position, then present that quote to UNCG administration, which then considers matching a higher salary quote. This encourages UNCG faculty members to apply for jobs which they have no intention of taking, if offered. Furthermore, the job application process is time-consuming, diverting from normal faculty duties, like teaching. GSA is concerned about the dishonesty and diversion of faculty’s attention this procedure promotes. No resolution has been reached by GSA on whether or how to address the issue.
Graduate Research & Creativity Expo, 2015:
– April 19, 2015, 1:00-4:00pm, in EUC Cone Ballroom
– For more info, see http://grs.uncg.edu/grc-expo/
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