On April 13, the DU Undergraduate Student Government (USG) met with the administration to discuss tuition adjustments and the post-pandemic landscape at the university. The senate was joined by Provost Mary Clark, Vice Provost for Budget, Planning & Administration Linda Kosten and Senior Vice Chancellor for Business and Financial Affairs Leslie Brunelli for a presentation on budget development updates for the 2022 fiscal year.
Clark and Kosten explained that the strategy behind DU’s financial planning is rooted in “protecting and preserving the health and well-being of the DU community.” DU faculty, who make over $90,000 annually and had salary cuts due to the pandemic, will have their wages restored. Other faculty and staff whose earnings are outside of that range will receive a 2% cost-of-living increase, which Kosten said will benefit more than 58% of DU employees.
At the undergraduate level, the proposed tuition increase for the next academic year is $3,570, which would bring the figure to $57,210 for full-time students. The proposed graduate increase is $5,693. To justify the increase, Kosten explained that 70% of the university’s revenue comes directly from tuition, with the remaining 30% coming from things such as room & board, gifts, research dollars and auxiliaries.
DU plans to get rid of charges for pre-collegiate fees, which include English language instruction for international students. Kosten said that $4 million has been allocated for next year’s COVID-19-related expenses.
Clark expressed that the university is “very sympathetic to the burden of increased tuition” and said that increased tuition will result in more money being allocated to financial aid. Kosten added that it is a priority of the school to get more donors involved and excited about funding support for student services.
Adjustments are also made to make up the loss in revenue from DU athletics, as virtually no fans have been allowed in most DU athletic events for over a year.
Fielding questions from the senators regarding fall 2021 class modality, Clark stressed that in-person classes will be heavily emphasized at the undergraduate level. DU is brainstorming ways to provide an online option for students who are medically compromised and may continue to benefit from a virtual format.
Both USG and Graduate Student Government (GSG) have upcoming elections this quarter. Though the deadline to add your name to the ballot for a USG position has passed, more information can be found here. A town hall for President and Vice-President will occur virtually on April 24 and be facilitated by the DU Clarion. For GSG, the deadline to apply is May 10 and more information can be found here.
