June 5, 2002

Contact: Robert Lowery (509-963-1487/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail: loweryr@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University’s board of trustees will act on a variety of issues, including the university budget and student tuition during its June 7 meeting in Ellensburg. The 1 p.m. Friday public session, at the beginning of Central’s 111th commencement weekend, is in Barge Hall 412. Trustees are expected to vote on:

• CWU’s proposed $16,739,000 preliminary operating budget request for the 2003-05 biennium, which includes five enhancement packages. The first package would include 5 percent salary increases for faculty and staff. The second request is for $909,783 for faculty and staff recruitment. The third request, totaling nearly $12 million, would provide funding for up to 600 students above CWU’s currently funded enrollment. The fourth package totals $1 million for recruitment and retention of low income and first generation students. The final package, of $1.6 million, would go for funding work force and high demand programs.
• Central’s capital budget request for the 2003-05 biennium totals $49,862,300. The university’s top priority project is $14 million for construction of phase two of the new CWU music education facility. Other large proposed projects are $9.58 million for utility upgrades and $4.9 million for renovation of Dean Hall. In addition, the university is seeking $12.6 million in multi-institution capital funding: $10 million for construction of a CWU Des Moines Center facility, $1.5 million to design a facility for the CWU Wenatchee Center and $1.1 million for similar work on the CWU Moses Lake Center.

The CWU board is expected to give final approval to tuition and fee hikes, as authorized by the state legislature, of 13.9 percent for resident undergraduate students and 6 percent for all other student categories.

The increases would bring quarterly tuition to $1,148 for Central resident undergraduate students, beginning fall term 2002, compared to $1,008 quarterly during 2001-02.

Resident graduate students will pay $1,713 quarterly, compared to $1,616 this year. Non-resident undergraduate tuition would increase to $3,802 from $3,587, per quarter this year, and non-resident graduate quarterly tuition would total $5,220 next year, up from $4,924.

The board also will also be asked to authorize the next planning phase for the CWU recreation center and student union project, elect officers and set its meeting schedule for the 2002-03 academic year.

In addition, the eight members of Central’s governing board are also slated to meet in a variety of public settings between Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon, including:

• a 6 p.m. Thursday evening dinner at the President’s Reception Center;
• an 8 a.m. Friday meeting with CWU President Jerilyn S. McIntyre, followed by morning committee meetings of the academic affairs, resource development and student affairs committees, in Barge Hall;
• the 12:30 p.m. Friday dedication of the Gloria J. Craig Memorial Rose Garden at the southeast corner of Shaw-Smyser Hall;
• the 4 p.m. Phi Kappa Phi initiation ceremony of new inductees in the honor society in McConnell Auditorium;
• the 8 p.m. university’s honors convocation in McConnell Auditorium;
• the 10 a.m. Saturday, CWU commencement ceremony at Tomlinson Stadium, where more than 1,100 bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates will receive diplomas (followed by lunch at the home of President McIntyre for the platform party); and
• on Sunday, June 9, several board members will participate in the commencement ceremony for 2002 graduates from Central’s three western Washington centers — SeaTac, Lynnwood and Steilacoom. The 1:30 p.m. ceremony will be held at Skookum Pavilion at Highline Community College.

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