In a unanimous vote, Temple’s Board of Trustees elected to increase tuition and fees for all undergraduate students during a public meeting on Thursday.
Base tuition will be increased by $400 per student for in-state students, and by $600 for out-of-state students, according to the University Operating Budget for 2013-14.
The trustees also approved an increase in the sum of all mandatory fees by $100, which will affect all students. The increase will mostly be applied to the University Services Fee, which helps fund student activities and recreational facilities. For students taking 9 or more credits in 2013-14, the fee will increase by $50.
The trustees returned a quick and unanimous vote on the tuition and fees increase, and no further discussion was held concerning the proposed changes.
Giving a reason for the revenue changes, the budget said, “The changes are based upon considerations of inflation and the overall economy, comparisons with peer institutions, accessibility, and the impact on indebtedness of our students.”
While the university expects its revenue from tuition and fees to increase by about $41 million, it will receive no increase in funding from the state over the next year. The budget cited no change in the Commonwealth Appropriation, which will remain at $146.4 million.
Earlier this year, President Neil Theobald spoke in front of the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee, asking for more state funding to help keep down student debt. Theobald said the commonwealth appropriation was “the single most important factor in keeping tuition affordable.”
Alongside the changes to the budget, the Board of Trustees approved a number of renovations to facilities on Main Campus and the Center City campus.
In addition, President Theobald announced the appointments of two new deans. Gregory Anderson will be the new dean of the College of Education, coming from the same position at the University of Denver. Michael Klein, who served as interim dean at the College of Science and Technology last year, will take over as the new dean of the college.
The search is still ongoing for the two remaining dean positions at the School of Media and Communication, and the School of Health Professions and Social Work.
Theobald presented the trustees with Temple’s plans for the future. He said the construction of Morgan Hall was finishing ahead of schedule, with the final beam being put on by the end of the month.
Theobald offered his vision for Temple’s new library, which he said was in the midst of a 5-month planning process. “This will not be a 20th century facility,” Theobald said. “We are not looking to store books.” He said the library should be a high-tech facility for a new age.
The president also announced plans to expand Temple’s international relationships. Coming off a long trip through China and Hong Kong, Theobald said he met with Asian alumni and discussed approaches to fit Temple into the growing international market.
“We will put together a strategic plan next year,” Theobald said. He went on to say the university was looking into expansion opportunities in China, Korea, Singapore, India and the Middle East.
Theobald said in order to adopt future plans, Temple will “need resources from alumni in Asia.” Speaking further on alumni donations, he said “I’m confident we’ll see a real return, especially in China.”
Joe Gilbride can be reached at joseph.gilbride@temple.edu.
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