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laxly ®ar MM Busine p DBm 106 years of editorial freedom ■Serving the students and the University community since 189.1 BOT Tuition Vote Set for Today As Decision Nears, Faculty Remain Divided on Hike By Jason Arthurs Staff Writer Vocal student leaders have been plas tering campus walls with fliers and preaching to small crowds in anticipa tion of today’s Board of Trustees vote. But in quieter faculty lounges and classrooms, professors have also been making their opinions known. Concern that the quality of students’ degrees would decline if steps are not taken to retain and recruit top-notch professors has led some faculty to believe raising tuition is the best solu tion to a complex problem. Faculty Chairman Pete Andrews said ho was confident that the proposed package, which includes a request for legislative support, private endowments and a tuition increase, would solve fac ulty salary woes. “I think we’re doing the right thing,” he said. “(The faculty) are concerned about the colleagues we’re losing.” Economics Professors Boone Turchi and John Akin said professors in their department held similar opinions. “I think it’s a good proposal,” Akin sa id. “It makes sense for a (university) who is good to charge more.” Turchi said he hoped students would realize how relatively low UNC’s tuition was in comparison to peer insti tutions and would see the long-term bcr; efits they would reap from having bet t er faculty. “‘The tuition at UNC has been very low relative to the value of education,” he said. “(Tuition) here is still going to be jpretty modest with this increase.” Philosophy Professor Jan Boxill said something had to be done to enable her department to recruit new and young faculty. “I have mixed feelings, but I do see something has to be done,” she said. “I hope it passes, but I think it will be a fight.” Andrews said the desire to keep and recruit the best professors had caused the majority of faculty he spoke with to bac k the proposal. “Overwhelmingly, the faculty are in favor of this proposal.” Elut while some departments have voiced support for the plan, others have presented opposition to the tuition increase. Thirteen members of the Department of History signed a petition calling on students and faculty to “reject the dramatic increases in the task force’s propiosal” because it “places too heavy of a financial burden on the UNC- Chapel Hill student body." History Professor Harry Watson said most of the faculty he had spoken with Trustees Prepare for Historic Vote With 'Open Minds' By Elizabeth Breyer Staff Writer After more than a week of heated campus debate, the 13 Board of Trustees members will cast their votes on a pro posal today that would dramatically increase tuition for all UNC students duri rig the next five years. Many BOT members said Wed nesday that they were not ready to commit to a position, but BOT Chairwoman Anne Cates said the inert'ase would most likely pass in some form. The tuition proposal calls for a $1,500 increase for in state undergradu ates and a $2,000 increase for all gradu ate st udents and out-of state undergrad uates;. “Although 1 have no sense of exactly what the board will do and how they will vote, I think tuition will be raised,” she said. “Most faculty and students think let us act on what we have, since we have not what we wish. Cardinal Newman disapproved of the proposal. “We’re all a little self-conscious about it,” he said. “We don’t want to advance ourselves on the back of the students.” Watson said he hoped the N.C. General Assembly - not students - would shoulder the burden of funding UNC to keep the University nationally competitive. “I very much wish the state legislature was addressing this issue in some other way,” he said. Some professors have looked beyond the numbers of the proposed increase and expressed concern over what they 1 pin J — * a . * arlißisMHD&re * jj . LttSr- I”■■ ?V. f- ' :j|. '■■% PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TOM AUSMAN AND MEGAN SHARKEY For more than a week, the possibility of a tuition increase to boost faculty salaries has dominated campus discussion. Today, as the Board of Trustees prepares to make its final vote, students are gearing up for a massive protest. At this time, the verdict remains uncertain. But what is clear is that the ultimate decision will affect three critical segments of the UNC community the faculty, the students and the administrators who make the call. something should be done about the fac ulty salary issue.” Several other BOT members said they were reluctant to take a stance on the issue until they heard the positions presented at the meeting. “I’m trying to go to the meeting with an open mind. I want to do more listen ing than talking,” said BOT member Jim Hynes. “If I have preconceived notions, there’s no reason for me to be there.” BOT member David Pardue also said he was not yet ready to make a defini tive decision. “I know which way I’m leaning, but the wealth of information presented needs careful thought. “I plan to take all the time that I’ve got,” he said. BOT members said they were aware some students planned to protest against the increase. While Student Body President Nic Heinke and Graduate and Professional Thursday, October 28, 1999 Volume 107, Issue 103 see as more harmful effects of the pos sible increase. Department of International Studies Chairman David Griffiths said he objected to the proposal because of the tension it was causing. “This whole thing is unfortunate because it puts students against faculty,” he said. “I don’t like the proposal because it puts the main constituents of the University - the faculty and the stu dents - against each other.” See FACULTY, Page 15 Student Federation President Lee Conner are the only students officially allowed to speak at this morning’s board meeting, student government members have petitioned heavily all week to have students pack the meeting during the vote. Students plan to protest at the Morehead Building today during the Board of Trustees meeting. During the meeting, Heinke and Conner will also present the BOT with petitions filled with signatures of stu dents and faculty in opposition to the proposal. “I’m sure it will be a highly charged, intense atmosphere,” Pardue said. “There are smart, compassionate people on both sides of the argument who think their side is right, and we’re talking about a lot of money.” However, BOT members said the stu dents coming to protest would not influ ence their final opinion. “Students have a right to protest, but I promise you that Students to Stage Protest At 11 a.m. BOT Meeting By Leonna Byrd Staff Writer In a final stance against a proposed tuition increase, UNC students will flood the Morehead Faculty Lounge this morning to silently fight the potential increase. Students’ presence at the meeting will be the climax of more than a week of protest and debate that has clutched campus attention and galvanized stu dent government. Graduate and Professional Student will not affect my decision,” Hynes said. Trustees said they had already con sidered student opinion by reading the masses of faxes, e-mail messages and let ters they had received in the past few days. “I think the best involvement for any student is what they’ve done the past few days - going to debates, writing let ters and signing petitions,” Pardue said. “My mind could be changed in the meeting, but there will not be time to hear individual student voices.” Cates said she was confident that UNC students would respect the BOT’s decision. “Here at Carolina, we often agree to disagree,” she said. “We may not agree on all outcomes (of the vote), but everyone will behave.” One main concern for students is that access to the University for lower income families would be restricted if tuition is increased. However, Cates said that would not be a major issue because of steps being Federation President Lee Conner said he expected the lounge - site of the Board of Trustees meeting - to be filled. “I hope 24,000 students show up - the entire student body -and show the BOT what an important vote this is for the entire UNC community,” he said. The trustees are slated to vote on a plan proposed Oct. 18 by the Chancellor’s Committee on Faculty Salaries and Benefits that has since caused a flurry of campus debate and protest. Since the committee approved the taken in conjunction with the tuition increase. “I think if (lower-income students) check with the financial aid office, they will be taken care of,” she said. “Studies have shown that increased tuition is not always a deterrent as long as financial aid is increased.” Despite their dissatisfaction with the monetary situation at the University, fac ulty have been less vocal about the tuition increase, Cates said. “I haven’t heard much from the fac ulty, except a few people who have con tacted me and a few' times when I have run into people and spoken to them,” Cates said. “We do know that we’re losing facul ty to other institutions - they’re being made offers they can’t refuse.” Ultimately, the trustees said they would make their decision based on what they saw as the best course of action for the future of UNC. Pardue said, “My only concern is News/Features/Arts/Sports 962-0245 Business/Advertising 962-1163 Chapel Hill, North Carolina © 1999 DTH Publishing Corp. All rights reserved. plan, students have been working to raise awareness of the issue and find options to the proposed increase. The same night the plan was passed, Conner and Student Body President Nic Heinke wrote a petition protesting the tuition increases and sent an e-mail to dozens of campus groups encourag ing them to voice opposition. During the past week, leaders con tinuously pushed for students to sign petitions against the increase and ran half-page advertisements in the form of petitions in issues of The Daily Tar Heel. GPSF created a Web site where stu dents could send e-mail to all members of the BOT as well as the Board of Governors. Several other campus groups, includ ing the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies, the Alliance for Creating Campus Equity and Seeking Social Justice, the Progressive Student Coalition and the DTH, also held forums to tap student and faculty input on the proposed tuition increase. To seek faculty aid for their fight against tuition increases and to empha size that the issue should not cause a rift between professors and students, Heinke and Conner also distributed almost 200 copies of a letter to all Faculty Council members, department chairmen and other faculty members. “The past week and a half has been a roller coaster ride,” Conner said. “All of our hard work will be worth it.” Heinke said he was overwhelmed with the involvement of the UNC com munity in their fight against the propos al. “I am very impressed with students, faculty and staff; they have come out of the woodwork and gotten involved in any and every way possible,” Heinke said. “Despite what may be said, students do care and want to work to find alter natives to the increase.” This morning’s planned protest is the final step in students’ quest to revise the proposal. “The students’ presence at the meeting today will send a signal that we care and are willing to fight against this increase,” senior Corrye Barbour said. Heinke said he believed today’s silent protest would be a respectful way to show the extreme concern of the stu dents. He said it would convince the BOT members of the importance of the vote for the entire UNC community. “Many members of the BOT don’t realize how many students will be affected by this See STUDENTS, Page 15 doing the best for the University, the students, the faculty and future devel opment prospects - whatever is in the best interest of the University and the state.” The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu. The Tuition Vote ■ Former UNC leaders speak out against proposal. See Page 12. ■ Students from N.C. State University will come to campus today to join the protest. See Page 12. ■ Students and faculty write in to voice opinions on possible increase. See Page 15.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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Oct. 28, 1999, edition 1
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