Resolution

Section 1. Statutory Authority. This bill is adopted pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Sections 5(d) of the Student Body Constitution, and Chapter 2, Rule 17(c) of the Student Body Statutes.

Section 2. The North Carolina State University Student Senate hereby adopts the following Resolution:

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the State of North Carolina, Article IX Section 9, reads “[t]he General Assembly shall provide that the benefits of The University of North Carolina [UNC] and other public institutions of higher education, as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the State free of expense”[1]; and,

WHEREAS, despite this commitment, a series of tuition increases spanning well over a decade has driven tuition rates for full-time resident undergraduates attending North Carolina State University from a mere $948.00 for the 1995-1996 academic year to the current rate of $3,530.00 for the 2006-2007 academic year, an increase of 272.4%[2]; and,

WHEREAS, required fees have also substantially increased during that same time frame, from $784.00 for the 1995-1996 academic year to the current rate of $1,253.00 for the 2006-2007 academic year, an increase of 59.8% (ibid.);

WHEREAS, during this same time frame, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by only 28.9% and the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) increased by only 45.6%[3]; and,

WHEREAS, a comprehensive fee review policy should ideally adhere to three basic tenets that provide for necessary services while preserving the sanctity of an academic environment; and,

WHEREAS, the first tenet should be that no academically-qualified student will be forced to interrupt an academic career due to increases in cost of attendance that were not fully disclosed prior to his or her initial enrollment at the University; and,

WHEREAS, the second tenet should be that all students will pay fees in at least approximate proportion to the benefits they will receive from the services funded by said fees, for example such that existing seniors would pay comparably less relative to incoming freshmen for enhancements and services those seniors will be unable to utilize prior to graduation; and,

WHEREAS, the third tenet should be that departments funded in whole or in part by student fees be afforded flexibility to pursue fee increases to fund their operations when necessary, provided such flexibility is not at the expense of the Student Body; and,

WHEREAS, a compromise is necessary to contain student fee rates while affording operational flexibility; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the North Carolina State University Student Senate calls upon the Chancellor to establish a committee, task force or similar body to review the possibility of establishing a “fee cost certainty” policy, wherein fee rates would be fixed for each class / “cohort” for the first four (4) years of attendance at the University; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Senate requests such a body to also, as an alternative, study the potential establishment of a permanent and cumulative cap on all required student fees, to be set at an amount no greater than 40% of the prevailing tuition rate for full-time resident undergraduates; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the Senate further petitions the Faculty Senate and Staff Senate to adopt this Resolution, or a comparable document endorsing the review of a “fee cost certainty” policy or similar student fee containment program; and be it further

RESOLVED, that until such time as the idea of a fee containment policy of some form is thoroughly explored, it is the policy of the 86^th session of the North Carolina State University Student Senate to strenuously oppose fee increase requests from all departments, except in such instances where additional funding is required due to a legislative mandate of the North Carolina General Assembly, or the requesting department submits, in writing, a commitment not to seek any additional fee increases for a minimum of the next three (3) succeeding years; and be it further

RESOLVED, that any Student Government official, elected or appointed, who knowingly, willfully and maliciously acts in a manner whose effect or intent is to undermine this policy shall be subject to censure by the Student Senate and may further be subject to potential impeachment for abuse of power and breach of ethical duty pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 2 of the Student Body Statutes.

Section 3. Enabling Legislation. The Senate Standing Committee on Public Affairs, in consultation with the Senate Standing Committee on Tuition & Fees and other appropriate Student Government personnel, shall be empowered to implement this legislation in the manner it deems appropriate. The Student Senate President shall retain overall implementation authority pursuant to Student Body Statutes §3-11.2.

Section 4. This act shall take effect upon enrollment.

[1] North Carolina State Constitution, Article IX, Section 9 “Benefits of public institutions of higher education”

[2] “Tuition and Fees History at NC State University”, NCSU University Planning & Analysis website -

http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/otherdata/general/tuitionhist.html

“Tuition and Fees”, NCSU University Cashiers Office website - http://www7.acs.ncsu.edu/cashier/Tuition/ugtuition.asp

[3] “Historical Summary of Higher Education Price Index and Consumer Price Index, FY1961 to FY2006”, 2006 Higher Education Price Index, Commonfund Institute

An act proposing the study of a compromise policy model for uniformly and equitably containing the cost of student fees