On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees approved the 2018-19 operating budget, which includes a 2.3 percent increase in tuition rates for undergraduate students and a 2.4 percent increase for graduate students.
With this increase, the new base rate for in-state tuition is $16,080, while out-of-state tuition is $28,176.
Temple University received a $155.1 million appropriation from the Commonwealth last month, which is $4.5 million more than last year’s contribution and the first increase in several years.
According to a university report, changes to the budget are based on considerations for inflation and the overall economy, labor contracts, comparison with peer institutions, pricing accessibility, campus infrastructure, student services and the impact on student indebtedness. Penn State froze its tuition after receiving an increased state appropriation.
Chairman of the Board Patrick O’Connor was not present at Tuesday’s meeting due to personal matters. Instead, Daniel Polett presided over the meeting. Charles Ryan, a new trustee who was approved by the Board on May 1, was also not present.
Temple Student Government Student Body President Gadi Zimmerman spoke to the trustees about his administration’s initiatives for the upcoming academic year.
TSG’s administration will continue the previous administration’s Sexual Assault Prevention Week and block clean-ups at the start of the year. It will also implement a mental wellness week and a campus hunger and homelessness week and campaign, with dates to be determined.
“As we collaborate with Temple Police… we plan on working closely with the North Philadelphia community to make sure our students are being respectful of the surrounding community,” Zimmerman said.
The Board also reconfigured allocations in next year’s operating budget:
- A $4.4 million increase to the base financial aid budget
- A $2.5 million decrease in employee benefits and a $17.1 million increase in employee salaries, totaling a $14.6 million spending change
- $3.6 million allocated for new facilities and strategic investments for
compliance, student conduct, student mental health and student financial wellness
On-Campus Facilities
The Board approved an additional $1.3 million to complete the Alpha Center, a 70,000-square-foot facility on Diamond Street near 13th.
The center, led by the College of Education, will house a daycare facility for 130 children, a dental clinic and counseling services that will be available to North Philadelphia residents.
The center has been met with disapproval from registered community organizations, like The Uptown Entertainment and Development Corporation RCO, that think the facility is a bargaining piece from the university to gain their approval for the proposed on-campus football stadium.
The Board approved:
- A $9,662,549 Hardscaping and Landscaping Improvements project
- A $2,488,600 Multi-Campus Facade Exterior Renewal Project
- $1,875,400 in renovations to the second and third floors of Speakman Hall
- A $1,115,800 roof repair of 1300 Residence Hall
- A $500,000 Anderson Hall Expanded Lobby and Entrance Design project
- A $300,000 Tyler School of Art Space Assessment Design Services project
The Board’s next meeting will be on Oct. 9 at Sullivan Hall on Main Campus.
CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story reported there would be a $14.6 million decrease in expenditures for employee benefits. The total change in expenditures for employee salaries and benefits totals $14.6 million, with a $2.5 million decrease in benefits spending and a $17.1 million increase in salary spending.
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