Officials propose smallest fee increases in years

University officials last night proposed modest increases in fees for housing, food and parking.

In a presentation to the Residence Halls Association, directors from the Departments of Resident Life, Dining Services and Transportation Services surprised members with relatively modest fee increases, after they spiked last year.

On-campus housing will cost

students living in traditional dorms an extra $115 next year. Meal plans will be $140 more expensive. Parking permit costs increased $8 for commuters and $16 for residents.

The proposed fee increases leveled off after recent years of steady hikes. The most drastic came in with parking fees, which went up only 4 percent this year, after they rose more than 7 percent the year before.

Resident Life Director Deb Grandner explained the lower increases across the board resulted from cheaper insurance costs for university employees and less utilities used. Even though the utility companies raised their rates, Grandner said more students were becoming energy conscious, saving the department more than $30,000.

Other than that, the proposed budgets mostly contained standard costs mandated by the state.

Still, RHA President Sumner Handy called the 4 percent increases in the Dining Services and Transportation budgets "tough to swallow," and wasn't sure if the body would lend their support to the proposed budgets. The body has no official veto power, however, and a separate committee of students, professors and administrators will have the final say on them next month.

The Department of Transportation Services also proposed raising parking meter fees from 75 cents to a dollar an hour. The increase would go into effect July 1, said David Allen, director of the department.

Allen explained that in the past few years, fewer students who commute have been buying parking permits, causing a revenue shortfall.

"Less than 50 percent of commuters drive to campus, which surprised me," he said. "We've had 2,000 fewer parkers in the last five years."

Dining Services Director Colleen Wright-Riva said while the department was anticipating a 10 percent increase in food costs next year, they were only going to raise funds to cover 2.4 percent. Wright-Riva said that she did not want students to be hit with too hard of a financial burden and that the department would come up with other ways to pay for the food.

"Tomato prices have gone up 125 percent since last year," she said. "The cost of dairy has gone up; Eggs have gone up."

The wireless Internet installed last year in dorms also helped trim down Resident Life's budget because 25 percent fewer students signed up for the ethernet service.

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