The Board of Regents has approved recommendations for tuition rates to be frozen for a second-consecutive year for resident undergraduates, keeping Iowa undergraduates’ tuition consistent for three years straight.

Although recommendations were approved by the board, proposed rates are not set in stone. The state and the governor still need to submit their budgets for appropriations distribution. The board has requested a 4 percent increase in appropriations funds. If this does not occur, the board must take another look at its numbers.

“We look forward to a positive response. [If not approved] then we’ll later start thinking about if we have to raise tuition,” said Bruce Rastetter, president of the Board of Regents.

Tuition for nonresident undergraduate students is projected to increase 1.74 percent and graduate and professional rates 1.8 percent, both below the national average. Exceptions are the Agriculture Systems Technology and Industrial Technology programs at Iowa State, which will have an increase for both resident and nonresident students for a three-year phase in.

An amendment to the University of Iowa’s College of Law tuition was presented by Katie Mulholland, president pro tem of the Board of Regents. An initial proposal to decrease nonresident tuition to the school by 16.4 percent turned into a 16.4 percent decrease for both resident and nonresident students.

“It’s a fairness thing,” Mulholland said.  “If it is fair to lower nonresident tuition, then our resident students ought to have the same opportunity in terms of cost.” 

A roll call vote to approve the amendment was approved by all regents except for Robert Downer, who voted against because of uncertainty with what the amendment would do to the budget.

These rates would take effect in summer 2014.

Another topic for the Dec. 4 meeting was the student appeal of what was believed to be for Bubu Palo, former ISU basketball player accused of second degree sexual abuse. Unanimously voted to affirm the institutional action, the appeal was denied by the board.

“The board reviewed the university’s decision and felt the same and we confirmed President [Steven] Leath’s decision,” Rastetter said.

Rastetter could not say why they agreed with Leath because of student privacy.

Institutional presidents and superintendents gave reports to the board in open session.

Leath’s announcements to the board included a number of individual students’ accomplishments and the undergraduate architecture program being ranked 18th and undergraduate program in landscape architecture is ranked 11th in the nation according to a survey of practitioners.

Leath announced a $25 million donation from two alumni for the development of a new entrance to Iowa State’s campus. This will also include an entrance to the Reiman Gardens, a “treasure on campus,” as Leath called it. Official request for the addition is planned for the February meeting.

The online training program on harassment was launched Dec. 3 to all faculty and staff. This training covers titles six and seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the education act of 1972.

“This will help us achieve our goal of ensuring that Iowa State lives up to what it promises to be, which is a university that’s committed to helping everyone that’s part of our learning and working committee receiving their educational professional goals … [without] discrimination,” Leath said.

A request for dormitory revenue bond funds for Iowa State was negotiated to help pay a portion of the Frederiksen Court expansion costs and funding a debt reserve fund. The winning amount of $8.75 million was brought down from the initial $8.775 million requested.

Diana Gonzalez, chief academic officer for the Board of Regents, talked about the transition for transfer students from community colleges to public universities with the website of transferiowa.org to help inform students what classes they should be taking to make the most of credit hours.

Another way to help transfer students, reverse transfer credits, was created about three years ago to allow community college students to transfer to a public university before completing their associate’s degree at the community college.

With the program, students have the option to see if classes being taken at the public university can be transferred back to the community college they were previously enrolled in to finish the associate degree while working toward their bachelor’s degree at the public university.

Gonzalez said there are currently about 700 students partaking in this method.

The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 5 and 6 at the University of Northern Iowa.