Trustees to Vote on Fee, Construction Plans

Author: Ann Jennings

At this weekend's meeting, the Board of Trustees will address the comprehensive fee for the 2002-2003 school year, consider the final approval for construction of the Library and Technology Center (LATC) and discuss the timing for the planned Atwater Commons expansion project.

Student Government Association (SGA) members will also report on their fall semester accomplishments and present their concerns to the Board, while the Comprehensive Fee Committee will recommend that next year's tuition fee be set at $36,000.

The student committee, appointed by SGA President Brian Elworthy '02.5 and led by SGA Finance Committee Chair Kaia Laursen '02, based their 5 percent increase on several factors.

Among them, said Laursen, was a $4 million increase in wages and benefits to employees, a $1 million increase in depreciation costs, a 3.25 percent increase in food costs, a $300,000 increase in library and Information Technology Services costs and additional operating expenses related to the new Ross Commons facilities.

Historically, the student committee's suggestion has been similar to the fee ultimately set by the Board.

Director of Public Affairs Phil Benoit stated that the fee the Board decides on "will be in the neighborhood" of $36,000. "The Board is more interested in the reasoning that went in to their decision than in the figure that they have come up with," he said of the committee's recommendation.

The Board's final decision will most likely be announced at this Sunday's SGA meeting.

Due to the current economic downturn, the Board will also reassess proceeding with the construction of the new library, explained Benoit.

There is, however, "no reason to think that [construction of the library] will be second guessed," he maintained.

Benoit continued, "Data seems fairly persuasive that the library will be right on schedule," because the library is currently the College's most pressing construction project.

The plans for the expansion of Atwater Commons, the College's other major project, are complete, but the Board must now decide when to start construction.

As with the plans for the library, the recent downturn of the economy may influence its timing, Benoit indicated.

The Ross Commons expansion, scheduled for completion this fall, marked the beginning of a series of commons expansion projects.

According to Elworthy, the SGA will present its main concerns and initiatives to the Board as well.

These include the placement of emergency phones on campus, the recent locking of residence halls, an inexpensive shuttle to the Burlington airport provided for students before breaks, and the honor code referendum.