UW Trustees Set Agenda for Nov. 18

The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees is scheduled to establish tuition rates for the 2016-17 academic year during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 18-20.

Other items on the agenda include updates on building projects, campus safety, budget issues, enrollment and economic development initiatives. A joint meeting with the UW Energy Resources Council (ERC) also is planned.

The meeting begins with a working dinner at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the UW Conference Center to address the exterior design of the planned Engineering Education and Research Building, and progress on construction of the High Bay Research Facility.

Thursday’s activities begin with a working breakfast at 7:30 a.m. in the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center, where the rest of the board meetings will take place -- with the exception of the joint meeting with the ERC Friday morning.

Public testimony is scheduled at 11 a.m. Thursday. All meetings are open to the public except for executive sessions. The business meeting, in which trustees take formal action on agenda items, is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. Friday.

The discussion on tuition is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

Last year, trustees adopted a policy calling for ongoing tuition increases of 4 percent annually, subject to modification by the board each year, as a way to provide predictability for students while meeting anticipated cost increases to maintain and enhance UW’s quality of education. A 4 percent tuition increase would generate about $2 million per year.

The long-term tuition policy serves only as a guide in preparing annual administrative recommendations for the trustees. The board retains the authority to “take any action it determines regarding tuition rates and the distribution of revenue generated from modifications to tuition,” according to the policy.

Under the policy, UW’s administration will continue to provide annual updates on UW’s cost of attendance, and how the university’s tuition and fee rates compare with other institutions. In addition, the administration consults with students, faculty and staff before submitting tuition recommendations.

The complete trustees’ meeting agenda is available on the Web at www.uwyo.edu/trustees/2015-meeting-materials/.