Publisher's Note: This article originally appeared in the Beaufort Observer.

   We offer some ways this can be avoided

    Jackie Drake, writing for the Greenville Daily Reflector reports:

    The East Carolina University Board of Trustees on Friday approved recommended tuition and fee increases of 9.5 percent for resident undergraduates and 9.9 percent for other students for the 2012-13 school year.

    The 13-member board was split, with five members in opposition. Some called for uniform increases for all categories of students.

    The 9.5 percent increase would mean a $505 rise in tuition and fees for full-time undergraduate residents, who would be paying $5,822 per year instead of this year's $5,317.

    With the 9.9 percent increases, out-of-state undergraduate students would pay $1,740 more, in-state graduate students would pay $547 more, and out-of-state graduate students would pay $1,584 more. The increases include fee hikes of $95 for all students.
East Carolina University, the old and the new: Wright Memorial Auditorium - above - student mess hall - below.    photos by Stan Deatherage
    The trustees also approved incremental tuition increases of $202 per year for the next five years -- already built in to this year's increases -- to "catch up" to what other comparably sized universities charge.

    For students in the Brody School of Medicine, tuition would go up by $1,500. The jump would be $1,365 for students in the new dental school.

    "We don't take those figures lightly, they will be tough for students and families to bear," Chancellor Steve Ballard said.

    The decision must be approved by the UNC Board of Governors and the General Assembly.

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    Commentary

    This is just about the most absurd situation we've seen in a long time. We've previously reported on the State Auditor's reports of some of the UNC campuses and they all show clearly that the financial condition of the campuses does not justify any kind of tuition or fee increase. But beyond that, we would once again suggest that if the university, including ECU, spent its money wisely there would be a tuition roll-back, not an increase.

    For starters, cut out all of the programs, like Gay, Lesbian and Transgender, that are not directly academically related that did not exist before 1999. Why 1999? Simply because they are non-traditional.

    Secondly, set up a chart of accounts that tracks expenditures by what has direct impact on instruction and what is non-instructional, specifically those expenditures for administration. If a faculty member does not carry a full load the proportionate part of the salary commensurate with non-teaching duties should come from some other account other than instruction. That, in and of itself, would eliminate the need to raise tuition and fees. Faculty research and service should be funded from non-instructional line items.

    Thirdly, eliminate all academic programs that do not place at least 75% of their graduates in employment in their field within three years. That too would eliminate the need for a tuition increase.

    Fourthly, the number of freshmen and sophomore students should be reduced by 20% every year until all first and second year students are enrolled in community college transfer programs.

    Fifthly, students admitted who have to be remediated should have the expenses of that remediation charged to the school system that graduated them if admitted within the last three years.

    Finally, athletics should be self-supporting (without compulsory student fees) including facilities and their maintenance.

    There is much that can be done to reduce the cost of higher education in this state. It is time the General Assembly steps up to the plate and fixes this absurd situation.