A $600 tuition increase next year and predictable increases in the future will allow UB and other SUNY schools to plan for the future and achieve a degree of autonomy from state government, according to UB President John B. Simpson.
In an interview with The Spectrum last week, Simpson said he supports Chancellor Robert King's proposal to raise next year's tuition $600 and to increase tuition for each incoming class - which would then pay that rate over the next four years - according to the Higher Education Price Index, which is tied to inflation and the cost of higher education.
"It goes to the very essence of the university's quality and the quality of the educational degree. I can now plan and plan effectively," Simpson said. "It also puts the university on firm, predictable footing that makes it not just another state agency. I think that's very important."
Simpson added that he believes the plan will benefit students, who would know what tuition they will pay over four years.
There is the possibility of additional unplanned increases under the plan, should the state under-fund SUNY. Simpson said King's plan puts the state into a public "compact" to fund SUNY at predictable levels. "(The plan) requires the state to do its part in a fair and predictable manner," Simpson said.
Simpson added another integral part of the plan's success would have to be adequate financial aid for those who cannot afford tuition.
"But it's not going to work, in my view, unless we remember it is our responsibility as a state institution to provide access. No student should be denied access," he said.
Simpson said he favors King's plan to that of Governor George Pataki, which calls for a $500 increase next year and no further planning. Aside from leaving students and university administrators in the dark about finances, the plan uses the hike to replace state support.
Simpson also voiced his support for King, who nearly left SUNY earlier in the month after being offered an exit package by the SUNY Board of Trustees, which is reportedly unhappy with his performance.
Simpson said he met with King and other SUNY presidents last week, and that King told them he would be around to see the tuition proposal come to fruition. "I have some concerns, but I think he'll be here, and I'm glad for that," Simpson said.
Simpson also said he agrees with making increases steeper at university centers like UB that offer doctoral degrees, because he said it takes more to maintain a staff of professors who do research and tech doctorate-level courses.
Some have criticized the plan in light of last year's $900 increase and increasing comprehensive and mandatory fees, in addition to a steady decline in student aid like Pell Grants and TAP awards. When the proposal came out, Chairman of the New York State Assembly Committee on Higher Education called the plan "outrageous."
Others feel the plan is unfair in light of recent raises given to SUNY presidents last October. Board of Trustees Chairman Thomas Egan said he supports consistent tuition increases, but urged SUNY to lower administrative costs first.
Simpson said King's proposal is about the long-term future of the SUNY system and how it is treated by state government.
"What this is really about is a question of what New York wants of its higher education system - if it runs a quality system," Simpson said. "This is a means of moving that agenda of quality forward. If it is not followed, it's business as usual and we're just another state agency."
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
