Regents approve designated tuition increase for Texas State

Date released: 08/20/04

SAN MARCOS – Texas State University-San Marcos will raise its designated tuition rate from $61 per semester credit hour to $76 in the 2005 spring semester to offset state funding cuts.

The tuition hike was approved Friday by the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System.

In addition to offsetting state funding cutbacks, the increase in designated tuition will allow the university to hire additional faculty to better serve the larger numbers of students the university has enrolled during the last several years.

The $15 per hour increase will also allow the university to add high-demand degree programs needed by the region and the state, fund additional student recruitment and retention services, continue the development of instructional technology infrastructure and increase faculty salaries.

Meeting Thursday and Friday, Aug. 19 and 20, in Alpine on the campus of Sul Ross State University, the regents also adopted Texas State’s operating budget for the 2005 fiscal year. The budget shows estimated income and available balances as $278,234,421 and estimated budget requirements of $265,834,421.

In other Texas State related business, the board:

  • Authorized the university to implement a merit pay increase using 2 percent of budgeted faculty and staff salaries effective Sept. 1 and make selected market salary adjustments based on survey data.
  • Authorized the university to designate Barry Hannah as holder of the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Endowed Chair in Creative Writing. Hannah has won the Award for Literature from the American Institute of Arts and Letters, the Arnold Gingrich Short Fiction Award and the William Faulkner Prize. He has also been a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. He has been distinguished writer-in-residence at the University of Mississippi.
  • Authorized the university to hire Randall Scott Architects of Dallas to conduct a feasibility study and prepare renderings for a live-fire training facility for the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center. The ALERRT Center trains first-responding police officers to safely and effectively address active shooting situations. Because no central training facility exists, ALERRT first-responder training is currently conducted at various locations around the nation.
  • Authorized the university to employ O’Malley Engineers of Brenham to do a topographical survey, a feasibility study and prepare preliminary plans and a design for a surface drainage system for the baseball and softball fields.
  • Authorized the university to accept as complete the new parking garage for the Emmett and Miriam McCoy College of Business Administration. The garage was constructed by SpawGlass Construction at a final project cost of $3.8 million.
  • Renewed the contracts of baseball coach Ty Harrington and softball coach Richelle Woodard.
  • Acknowledged gifts to the university of $5,000 or more.
    • A gift of 101.376 acres of land was deeded by the Avery Ranch Company for use as the site of the Round Rock Higher Education Center.
    • The Department of Art and Design received original works of fine art from William L. Smith and Park West Gallery.
    • Compumedics Sleep, a division of Compumedics Ltd., donated equipment and software to the College of Health Professions and the Department of Respiratory Care.
    • The Burdine Johnson Foundation contributed in support of the Katherine Ann Porter Young Writers Program.
    • The Texas Department of Information Resources provided a gift-in-kind of laptops and peripherals.
    • CenturyTel made a donation in support of the CenturyTel-Texas State Celebrity Classic.
    • Nike donated a gift-in-kind in support of the CenturyTel-Texas State Celebrity Classic.
    • Richard G. Boehm and Denise Blanchard Boehm made a contribution in support of the Grosvenor Endowment.
    • Chartwell’s made a contribution in support of the CenturyTel-Texas State Celebrity Classic.
    • Priority Personnel donated in support of the CenturyTel-Celebrity Classic.
    • Everette Swinney and Donna J. Swinney donated in support of the Everette and Donna Swinney Faculty Development Fund.
    • Head Paint and Wallcovering Inc. made a contribution in support of the End Zone Complex.
    • Michael R. Young made a donation for scholarships in the Department of Geography.
    • Mary Nell Hoover donated in support of the Nell and Dexter Hoover Endowment in Education.
    • Mr. and Mrs. Ray M. Miller donated in support of the Bobcat Athletic Foundation.
    • The Coalition of Reading and English Supervisors of Texas donated to the Rising Star of Texas Writing Project.
    • Dionicio “Don” Flores contributed to support the Flores Mass Communication Endowment.
    • Frost National Bank donated to the Athletic Gift Fund in support of Bobcat Athletics.
    • Frost National Bank donated in support of the David Bailiff Loyalty Fund.
    • Charles R. Head Jr. donated in support of the Bobcat Athletic Foundation.
    • Ikon Office Solutions donated in support of the CenturyTel-Texas State Celebrity Classic.
    • William Ross King donated to establish the Crown Scholarship.
    • Alan R. Wiley contributed in support of the Bobcat Athletic Foundation.
    • The Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation contributed to support the Supple Endowment for Southwestern Studies.
    • Authorized the university to issue a change order to SAP Public Services for services associated with the installation of a new financial and human resources administrative software system.
    • Authorized the university to grant a water pipeline easement to the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority on university property on Highway 21 in San Marcos.
    • Authorized out-of-country study programs in Mexico and Curacao.
    • Received fourth-class day reports for 2004 summer sessions.
    • Approved routine budget adjustments, course fees and personnel matters.
    • The TSUS Board of Regents governs Angelo State University in San Angelo, Lamar University in Beaumont, Lamar State College-Port Arthur, Lamar State College-Orange, Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas State and Sul Ross State University in Alpine, including the Rio Grande College with campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass and Uvalde.
    • Members of the nine-member board are Alan W. Dreeben of San Antonio, chair; Kent Adams of Beaumont, vice chair; Dora G. Alcala of Del Rio; Patricia Diaz Dennis of San Antonio; John E. Dudley of Comanche; Dionicio “Don” Flores of El Paso; Bernie C. Francis of Addison; James A. “Jimmy” Hayley of Texas City; and Pollyanna A. Stephens of San Angelo.