Chancellor Announces Salary, Tuition Increases

Editor-in-Chief

   In the last Assembly meeting of the semester, Chancellor Jack Lassiter announced a 2 percent salary increase for faculty and non-classified staff and a tuition-and-fees increase for students.

   The salary increase came after the governor released $171,000 to the university and enrollment only dropped two percent (63 students) from the fall to the spring.

   “This (enrollment drop) is almost unheard of in higher education,” Lassiter said. “(The faculty and staff) have done an excellent job this year.”

   The salary increase will start April 1. The Chancellor said faculty and non-classified staff will receive a paper check April 15 for the difference in the increase from Jan. 1 through March 31.

   Lassiter also announced a slight increase in tuition and fees.

   “We don’t like to ask for more but we will still be the lowest in the state for a four-year institution,” Lassiter said.

   He said the increase, which has not been approved yet, will increase about $5 per credit hour. He said the Pell grant will also increase and figured up this will cover 30 hours per year with about $612 left over in a refund. The university also decided to also increase current scholarships to cover the rise in tuition and fees.

   The Chancellor said minimum wage will increase to $7.25 for student workers in the next fiscal year. He said the university is exempt from raising minimum wage but chose to do so for students.

Budget

   He also talked about the budget and said it will be sound.

   He said other campuses have laid off employees and reduced work hours. The Chancellor said he does not see this coming to this campus and has no worries about funding. Will have a sound budget for the next year.

   Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Jay Jones said the final budget must be turned in to the University of Arkansas system by May 11. While the budget did not get cut again this year, he said “tough” decisions will have to be made in the next few weeks in regard to the budget.

Officers

   The body also elected its officers for the next school year. The officers comprise:

• Chair Marsha Clayton, associate professor of business administration

• Vice Chair Donna Hunnicutt, a faculty member in the School of Education

• Secretary Ronald Sitton, assistant professor of journalism

• Parliamentarian Chris Wright, instructor of political science
  

SGA Constitution

   During the Student Affairs report, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Clay Brown said under Student Programs and Activity director Mindy Holcomb’s guidance, the student government revised its constitution. Sen. Zack Tucker, a sophomore political science major and chair of the conference that revised the constitution, explained the major changes the constitution would bring.

   He explained the conference raised grade point average requirements of executive officers to a 2.75 and senators and Student Activities Board members to a 2.5.  

   Kate Stewart, professor of English, and other faculty members commended the students for taking a stand for academics and raising the gpa requirement.

   Tucker also explained the new constitution raises the personal campaign contribution from $75 to $100. He also said the constitutional conference created a demerit system. Professor of Speech Gary Marshall asked in what instances students would receive demerits. Tucker said for things like being unexcused from a meeting, disrespect to a faculty member or fellow government member and not being active in the organization.

   Senior political science major Eric Bell asked Brown about the funding for SAB this semester. He said the group “unanimously voted” to give $12,000 to a group on campus then renegotiated with the group and gave them $3,500. He said he heard $1,000 of the budget remains.

   Brown explained the $3,500 was not given to the group since they presented a bogus contract to SAB. Bell asked Brown if the students voted on this, and Brown asked the student government members in attendance. They confirmed they did vote on the matter.

   Brown said Student Affairs supports and approves of the new SGA constitution. The Assembly unanimously approved the constitution. Now the constitution will go on to its final stage of approval at the Board of Trustees meeting April 17 on campus.

Dead Day and Spring Break

   Before adjourning, the Chancellor addressed there was no dead day before finals. He said the Curriculum and Standards committee decided not to include a dead day but instead looked at a later start for finals. Instead of starting at 8 a.m., the Chancellor said the first test could start at 10:30 a.m. 

   The Chancellor said the spring break alignment bill for public schools did pass the Arkansas legislature. The bill will require all public schools to take spring break 38 weeks after the first Sunday in July, according to Lassiter. He said the university will adopt this policy, making next school year’s spring break March 22 – 26, 2010.

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©The Voice 2009