Governor Bredesen's 5 percent budget impoundment on allstate-funded institutions will likely increase The University ofMemphis's tuition between 8 and 14 percent for fall semester,Tennessee Board of Regents officials said.
Although U of M officials are reluctant to admit a tuitionincrease is definite, TBR officials said they will make a finaldecision in June on the exact dollar amount.
However, TBR officials said all state-funded colleges anduniversities are required to submit budget contingency plans basedon proposed tuition hikes of 8, 11 and 14 percents.
For The University's tuition, which is currently $1,852,increases of 8, 11, or 14 percent would mean new tuitions of$2,000, $2,055 and $2,111 respectively.
"Institutions are doing all they can to protect the academicside," said TBR Vice Chancellor Bob Adams in Thursday's specialmeeting at the Fogelman Executive Center on campus.
In an effort to reduce the amount by which The University wouldhave to increase tuition, U of M President Shirley Raines hasrequired every University account to be scrutinized for any moneythat can be saved, Director of Communications Services CurtGuenther said.
"The mission of educating the students will be priority,"Guenther said. "Everything else is secondary; there are no sacredcows."
In addition to trimming the budget to cover only the mostnecessary expenses, The University must find other ways to protectstudents and academic programs.
Plans to protect programs include not filling any currentlyunfilled faculty and staff positions, Guenther said.
In addition, everything from improving the efficient use ofenergy to delaying some previously budgeted high-dollar purchasesare on the list of items being considered to help shield studentsfrom higher tuition costs this fall.
Raines is also placing a greatly increased emphasis onfundraising in an effort to gain money for The University from theprivate sector. She has asked University faculty to increase theirefforts to obtain federal grants and private contracts.
"Anything that can be done to alleviate the impact of the budgetcuts to students will be done," Guenther said. "There are severalmore months where all of this will still be cloudy."
