Trustees Approve Zero-Percent Increase in Room and Board for 2012-13
GRAND RAPIDS – Ferris State University’s Board of Trustees approved an administration
recommendation of a zero-percent increase in room and board for students for the 2012-13
academic year at its regular meeting on Friday, Nov. 4 inside the Amway Grand Plaza
Hotel in Grand Rapids.
University officials recommended no increase in room and board as students and families
begin to make college decisions about the Fall 2012 Semester. One important reason
for the zero-percent increase is to keep a Ferris education affordable for students
and families. Jerry Scoby, vice president for Administration and Finance, notes that
Ferris is a university of opportunity. He is proud that the university has managed
to make this recommendation at a time when it has been able to improve the quality
of housing facilities on campus for students, yet also contain costs.
“Ferris has worked to create a more attractive living experience for its students
who are living on campus with the renovated Rock Café dining center, the renovation
of South Campus residence halls and the enhancement of wireless networks in our residence
halls,” said Jon Shaffer, director of Housing and Residence Life. “We are doing all
this at a time when we are holding rates the same for students and families.”
The Ferris room and board rate of $8,744 is based on pricing for the most popular
plan choice for Ferris students. The university plans to continue to provide its students
with quality and flexibility in housing and dining options, as well as maintain and
enhance facilities.
“The university’s goal is to set these rates as low as possible to minimize the cost
of attendance for our students and to better position the rates with the other public
universities in Michigan,” Scoby said.
In other meeting news, trustees approved:
- the 2011-12 general fund operating budget of $184.5 million, which includes $41.3
million in state appropriations.
- a 2013 capital outlay project request seeking support to build a new facility for
the College of Education and Human Services in accordance with the campus master plan.
The College of Education and Human Services is currently housed in Bishop Hall, a
renovated residence hall that is inadequate for instruction and forces classes to
be distributed to other buildings around campus.
- the demolition of Carlisle and Masselink halls on the Big Rapids campus. The university
is demolishing the two halls because they no longer meet the programmatic and functional
expectations of students. The plan is to complete the demolition and related utility
work by August 2012. The space will provide additional commuter parking and serve
the parking needs of the renovated university center.
- President David L. Eisler’s recommendation that the university enter into a professional
services contract for search assistance to fill three vacant dean positions;
- approved authorization for Vice President of Administration and Finance Jerry Scoby
or his designee to proceed with the retention of necessary professional and other
services required to conduct a transportation study associated with plans to renovate
the Rankin Center, including the negotiation of and entering into contracts, upon
legal review in accordance with Board policy;
- authorization for President Eisler, or his designee, to accept the grant award through
the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act from the Michigan Department
of Labor and Economic Growth on behalf of the trustees, in the amount of $208,838.
The president or his designee is authorized to administer the grant in accordance
with approved Board policy;
- contract amendments to Ferris-authorized charter school academies that include adding
another address for Lighthouse Academy, in Kentwood, to accommodate extra students
and to offer pre-kindergarten at Pierre Toussaint Academy, in Detroit; and
- the closure of the Associate of Applied Science degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology.
The Society of Nuclear Medicine, as well as the Joint Review Committee on Educational
Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology, supports the recommendation to require a
Bachelor of Science degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology by 2015. To align Ferris’
program with this mandate, the university implemented or reactivated its BS degree
in 2008 and now plans to eliminate the associate degree. All associate degree-seeking
students within the Nuclear Medicine Technology program have earned their Associate
of Applied Science degree, and students began to graduate with a Bachelor of Science
in Nuclear Medicine Technology in May 2011.
In related BOT news, trustees:
- received, at the Oct. 14 meeting of the Finance Committee, the external auditors’
report from Plante Moran which assessed Ferris State University its highest level
of assurance, a “clean, unqualified opinion.”
