U. Senate to hold public hearing on cost of attendance approval process
The Rutgers University Senate, representing students, faculty, staff and alumni, is weighing a recent proposal that would adjust when students' tuition, fees and room and board costs are approved.
The Senate charge, S-2320, states that tuition, housing and dining rates are approved by the Rutgers Board of Governors after students are required to accept their admission to the University. For reference, this past year, the accepted students' deadline to enroll was on May 1, but the costs to attend were approved more than a month later in July.
In light of the charge, the Senate is holding a public hearing on Friday and distributed a response form to students, faculty and community members.
The form stated that Rutgers fee increases were above the 3.5 percent projected inflation. It also stated that the tuition increase was above the average nationwide percentage increase at other colleges and universities.
Rutgers, like other institutions nationwide, follows the National College Decision Day on May 1. Robert Scott, an associate professor and undergraduate director in the Department of Anthropology, issued charge S-2320 to the Senate and said this date should be reconsidered.
Scott said this issue was among the striking unions' concerns when bargaining for the common good during last semester's historic strike. He said students and faculty had also brought up the issue and called for rent control measures during the strike.
"There's an economic observation that Rutgers is really the largest landlord in New Brunswick," Scott said. "So, what Rutgers decides to charge for housing has monopoly type of effects."
He said that the Board of Governors meeting in April heard students, faculty and community members' concerns regarding the current conditions and costs for tuition, housing, meal plans and fees. Yet, there was no further comment from the administration until the tuition was readjusted in July, Scott said.
Scott, who is also a parent of a Rutgers student, said the housing cost increases do not correspond to the quality of life in residence halls. He also said the removal of Brower Commons on the College Avenue campus with the 7 percent increase in dining expenses was "egregious."
"(I had) a realization that that timing (just) seems fundamentally wrong to me. So that's why the charge includes this issue of timing," Scott said. "And I think that the president's office could do something. There's nothing about the actual rates of tuition or housing, but, to simply say, we will announce our proposal to the Board of Governors prior to May 1 so that (it is) available to everyone. That would be a very small step in the right direction."
Scott's University Senate charge also states that student, parent and faculty suggestions should be included in the decision-making process. He said he hopes to open communication within University President Jonathan Holloway's beloved community.
Scott said he hopes the meeting on Friday will generate responses from the Rutgers community and force Holloway to respond. He said that due to the relationship between the Senate and Holloway when a significant concern is brought up to the former, the president's office is obligated to respond.
Scott said that given the Senate's no-confidence vote in September, it would be in Holloway's best interest to respond thoroughly to any issues brought up by students, faculty and Rutgers family members. Scott said the Senate will write a report regarding the charge and the testimonies from the open hearing and issue this report to Holloway.
"If (Holloway's) response is inadequate, he will be failing further under an atmosphere where he has lost confidence," Scott said. "If he instead chooses to (adequately respond), it becomes an opportunity for him to be heroic, to engage with a report and announce, 'We read this, I read this, we're making changes,' that is the step towards restoring confidence."
