Regents approve tuition increase
by Courtney Bullard, co-associate editor
Tuition for Fall 2007 is going up
for the first time since 2003.
The South Plains College Board of
Regents voted to raise tuition by $6 per credit hour during
their April meeting because the Texas Senate has decreased
funding for community colleges.
“Unfortunately, appropriations from the
state was not enough to meet our needs,” said Dr. Sharp,
president of South Plains College. “We’re asking for an
increase to move forward with the positions we need to fill,
equipment we need to replace, and most importantly, pay
increases for faculty and staff.”
The Regents expressed how important it
is that that the college continues to provide affordable
education, but they want to continue to maintain a quality
environment for students.
“I hope it doesn’t cause any barriers
for students,” said Dr. Sharp.
The increase will be in the
instructional support fee, which means that the tuition for
all students will be raised, including in-district,
out-of-district and non-resident students.
For the past three years, the average
student taking 30 hours for two semesters would pay $2,312.
The tuition increase will bring it to $2,402.
In other action, the Board was
presented with the curriculum revisions for Fall 2007 as
well. Recently, Texas Tech changed its mechanical
engineering curriculum. It will now except transfer credits
for the major. Students have the opportunity to take
dual-credit automotive classes in high school, which will
then transfer to SPC and to Texas Tech. Darrell Grimes, the
vice president of academic affairs at SPC, said this is the
first technical credit Texas Tech is accepting, though and
they expect more in the future, for majors such as
electrical engineering.
In addition, the Board was informed
that SPC is looking to fill several positions for next fall.
These include a dean of arts and sciences, an associate
instructor for the nursing program, a music instructor, an
English instructor, and, if enrollment calls for it, an art
instructor, a piano instructor for the fine arts program,
and an assistant rodeo coach, among others. These openings
are due to instructor retirement and the addition of more
positions to the school.
The Regents also discussed the
demographics of the college. The average age of students who
attend SPC continues to be around 22. As of this year, 65.87
percent of the students enrolled at SPC are white, and 4.43
percent are Black. The Hispanic population has grown from
25.98 percent a year ago to 27.07 percent currently, while
2.63 percent of students fall in the “other” ethnicity
category.
Of the total SPC population, 97.46
percent are Texas residents, and 2.51 percent of students
are from out of state. Female students out-number males by
6.70 percent, and students who are enrolled full time
increased by 2.4 percent.
According to David Jones, vice
president of student affairs, more students are trying to do
the right thing by finishing school as quickly as possible
and then entering the work force. The total number of
students attending South Plains College is 8,485. Of those
who go on to attend a four-year institution, 81 percent of
SPC students transfer to Texas Tech University.
Dr. Sharp also gave an update on the
Plainview expansion and the Fine Arts Building
construction. According to Dr. Sharp, the Plainview campus
looks good, and it is expected to be completed within 60
days, with the exception of science lab furniture. Within
60 days, the first phase of the Fine Arts construction will
also be completed.
The Board was presented with next
year’s 50th anniversary celebration plan. On
April 24, Senator Robert Duncan will present a proclamation
before the Texas Legislature in recognition of SPC’s 50th
anniversary.
The college was established in 1957,
after Hockley County voters approved the establishment of
the institution in April of that year. Groundbreaking for
the college took place in December 1957, and the first
classes took place in September 1958, leading to the first
graduation ceremony in May 1959.
The 50th anniversary
celebration will begin with a kick-off in April, and close
with the commencement ceremony in May 2008.
