Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Actions taken Wednesday [June 20] by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning will support the buy-back of Mississippi State faculty positions lost to attrition, contribute to the university's research program, provide for library enhancements, and ensure other top priorities are met, said President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong.
"A 7 percent tuition increase approved for MSU will help ensure that the core mission of the university moves forward: educating young men and women and preparing them for leadership roles in our state," he said.
In addition to the 7 percent tuition increase for in-state students, the university also will receive a one-year, 1 percent energy surcharge to help cover dramatically higher utility costs, and a $30-per-semester student fee to help defray shortfall costs of renovating the central-campus student union.
"Tuition revenues, combined with those provided by the state Legislature this year, will allow us to invest in areas essential to the progress of the university and its service to Mississippi," Foglesong said.
Among critical areas he identified are the addition of 25-30 faculty positions in areas of need, a five percent merit pay raise for faculty and staff, additional support for student recruiting and retention, enhancement of need-based student scholarships, support of faculty research start-up packages, and enhancements for the university libraries.
"The downside is that it will be more expensive for students to attend Mississippi State," he said. "I wish we did not have to raise tuition, but in order to move Mississippi State forward, we have to generate resources that allow us to do that.
"We commit to providing an education that has value and respect," he added. "I believe this revenue represents a significant stand in our ability to demand the respect that our state and our university deserve."