Board of Governors Sets Room and Board Rates for 2022-2023 Academic Year

In its plenary session, March 24, the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors approved tuition, general fees, and room and board rates for the 2022-2023 academic year while also awarding a construction contract for a new wrestling room at the Multipurpose Building, made possible through private funding.

Bill Hawley, vice president for finance and operations, presented the board with the proposed new tuition rates that become effective this fall, and reflect rising operational costs for UCM in areas such as personnel, technology, facilities, utilities and more. While the university currently charges Missouri resident undergraduates $258.22 per credit hour for each course, regardless of modality, tuition will increase to $268 per credit hour, up 3.8 percent for Fiscal Year 2023. The same percentage increase is planned for in-state graduate students resulting in a change in tuition from the current rate of $326 per credit hour to $339. Non-resident undergraduate and graduate students, whose tuition is double that of in-state students, also will see a 3.8 percent increase over the current rates.

In addition to these tuition increases, there are a number of other programs which have specific instructional rates that were approved by the board. These rates include: $4 per credit hour increase for Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment courses; 3.8 percent increase per credit hour for graduate online and hybrid courses and entrepreneurial and Kodaly courses; 3.6 percent increase for online Ph.D.; 3.8 percent increase per credit hour for Computer Science and Computer Information System graduate courses with rate applicable regardless of location/mode; 4.3 percent increase to professional development courses; and 3.9 percent increase to limited cost courses.

In addition to tuition, students also pay general fees that cover athletics, facilities, Pertle Springs recreational area, student activities, technology, Elliott Student Union, University Health Services and the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Total general fees for a student taking fewer than nine credit hours will be $46.65  per credit hour in FY 2023, up $1.65 per credit hour from the current rate. It also includes a flat rate of $684.75 for students taking more than nine credit hours, which is an increase of $24.75 over the flat rate students currently pay.

To help offset increased operating costs to the university, the board approved rate changes for student housing and meal plans. The cost of a double occupancy or single occupancy room in a university residence hall will increase by 3.24 percent, and apartment complex rent increases will range from 3.10 percent to 3.22 percent, depending on location, number of bedrooms, whether or not it is furnished, and if utilities are included. The three meal plan rates were established with increases that are below the current Consumer Price Index – Food Away From Home rate of 4.7 percent. They are as follows: Silver, 4.34 percent; Gold, 3.94 percent; Platinum, 3.55 percent. 

In other business, the board accepted a contract of approximately $1,054,000 with E&K Construction, Grandview, to provide labor, materials and provisions necessary to construct a new wrestling room in the existing natatorium space in the Multipurpose Building. This will provide the UCM wrestling team with a designated space to practice and host competitions. 

This project will consist of renovating the natatorium into a wrestling center by infilling the existing indoor swimming pool with gravel and pouring a new slab on top. Installation of a new sprung floor system for the extents of the wrestling mat area and leveling the existing pool deck to meet accessibility standards. Conversion of an office to new wrestling center entry, and conversion of an existing storage room into a new coaches’ office, and renovation of an existing office to re-locate the entry and installation of new interior storefront are also planned, along with installation of resilient rubber athletic flooring to cover the center floor.

The board in its December 10, 2021 meeting approved naming this state-of-the-art area the “Roger Denker Wrestling Facility,” which benefits from substantial gifts from two former UCM wrestlers, Dan Power and Gary Ervin, who competed under Coach Roger Denker’s tutelage. The facility will be in memory of Denker, honoring the former coach for his leadership in transforming the lives of UCM wrestlers.

Board members approved the award of a contract that involves five different firms to provide on-call engineering services for new and facility/property improvement projects and landscaping. A detailed scope of services will be developed by qualified firms for each project as requested by UCM staff. The firms are Ross & Baruzzini, St. Louis; Henderson Engineers, Lenexa, Kansas; Custom Engineering, Independence; SSC Engineering Inc., Chesterfield; and Engineering Surveys & Services, Sedalia. The contract will be funded through Facilities, Planning and Operations budget. Services will be provided on an as-needed basis for one year, with four one-year renewal options.

A contract was approved with 10 firms to provide on-call architect services for one year April 1, 2022-March 31, 2023, with the option to renew in one-year increments for a maximum total of four additional years. Firms that are included are: PGAV Architects, Westwood; GMLV Architecture Inc., Wichita, Kansas; Gould Evans Inc., Clark & Enersen Inc., Wellner Architecture, International Architects Atelier; SFS Architecture Inc. and Hollis and Miller Architects, all from Kansas City; Hoefer  Welker, Leawood, Kansas; and Oke-Thomas & Associates Inc., Springfield.

The board also approved revisions to the university’s “Animals on Campus” policy, which was initially adopted in December 2017. The policy notes that the university supports service animals and emotional support animals on campus in appropriate circumstances, but since the adoption of the policy opportunities for clarification have been identified. Among these updates, individuals who wish to bring a service animal with them as they perform their work duties on behalf of the university must participate in an interactive process with Human Resources. The process will help determine whether an appropriate reasonable accommodation, such as a service animal, is available and necessary for an employee to perform essential functions of their position, as set forth by the ADA.