University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire plans to increase its tuition by $1,500 annually over a phase-in period of the next four years to enhance the quality of the school’s education.
The proposed plan, known as the Blugold Commitment, aims to improve UW-Eau Claire’s educational system with contributions from students, families, alumni and friends, according UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich.
The influx of new resources would help to lower the faculty-student ratio, allow more students to engage in various educational experiences and ultimately help more students graduate in a timely manner.
He added the increase is a part of the commitment to an additional student-approved differential tuition, which has yet to be voted on.
“We had developed a strategic plan three years ago and we have been working on it. There is a combination of factors that initiated the tuition increase, including workload increase and budget situations,” Levin-Stankevich said. “We will not be able to enhance the quality of education we provide without the influx of additional resources.”
Levin-Stankevich also said the university is having a conjunction with the Student Senate on the issue. The Student Senate of UW-Eau Claire is going to conduct a student survey in late November or early December for consultations on the tuition increase.
“[Student Senate] has created some committees, and they have largely defined the proposals that we have right now,” Levin-Stankevich said. “We’re working with student leaderships with specific objectives in mind.”
Some of the target objectives of the commitment include allowing more students to study abroad and elements to be embedded in educational experiences such as collaborative research, global learning and intercultural immersion. Levin-Stankevich added improving advising and integrating global and domestic intercultural experiences are a part of the objectives as well.
David Giroux, UW System spokesperson, said there is currently no certain answer to the question of whether the tuition increase at one university would affect the system.
“We are still watching as they are still carrying the proposals through the process. They are going to consult the students at UW-Eau Claire and currently the tuition increase will only affect students attending UW-Eau Claire,” Giroux said.
According to Giroux, UW-Eau Claire’s plan to increase differential tuition means it has a unique proposal to differentiate its pricing from other campuses.
“UW-Eau Claire is one of our comprehensive universities, while Madison is a doctoral university, hence having higher tuition. Now UW-Eau Claire is proposing a tuition higher than that of other comprehensive universities,” Giroux said.
He added the proposal must be reviewed by the Board of Regents, but before that happens, UW-Eau Claire still has to make sure they have consulted their students and gained support and approval on the differential tuition increase.
Both Levin-Stankevich and Giroux said they think the proposed tuition increase of UW-Eau Claire is similar to the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, a proposal of supplemental tuition charge phasing in over four years to improve the quality of education provided by UW.
