A second consecutive year of tuition freeze for in-state undergraduates is among the highlighted topics for the September Board of Regents meeting  in Cedar Falls.

As part of the operating appropriations request, $652.7 million is desired to help provide affordable higher education in Iowa.

If approved, this would mean that in-state undergraduate tuition will remain the same for three years, the first time since 1975.

“When this moves forward, the ball will be in the Legislature’s court,” said Spencer Hughes, president of the Government of the Student Body. “We need to make the case to the Legislature and support Iowa students … what appears to be a small step is really a positive step to put Iowa as a leader in higher education.”

The general four percent increase was developed in the board office, said Sheila Koppin, the regents’ communications director. Koppin also said this amount is above the Higher Education Price Index’s range to help the universities to absorb the tuition freeze.

HEPI is an inflation index designed to track the biggest costs in higher education institutions. It is a helpful planning instrument for colleges and universities to understand their future budget.

The appropriations request is agenda item seven for Wednesday after the reports of the institutional heads from Iowa, Iowa State and Northern iowa.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday with the Property and Facilities Committee and the Education and Student Affairs Committee.

The Property and Facilities Committee is looking for approval for the five year capital plan from fiscal year 2015 to fiscal year 2019 for the amount of $689.4 million from state funds and $96 million from private or other funds.

This includes a capital request of $89 million for fiscal year 2015. From this amount, approximately

$75 million is to be allocated to help change environmental safety and fire safety absences.

Iowa State has a request for $5,000 for the Biosciences building as part of the fiscal year 2015 capital request.

The Education and Student Affairs Committee’s agenda contains the biennial faculty activities report, which provides an overview as to the responsibilities and expectations of faculty members of the three universities.

On Wednesday, the board is set to assemble in open session from 9 a.m. to noon. A sexual misconduct presentation and training is scheduled to start the session from 9 to 10:15 a.m.

“We have three new board members who have not had this training,” Koppin said. “To ease the process, we are providing it for them in one meeting. It will be an opportunity for anybody in the public to receive this training on that day.”

After a scheduled 15 minute break, the board is scheduled to reconvene at 10:30 with the Audit/ Compliance and Investment Committee. University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Committee is to present from 11 a.m. to noon.

Following lunch, open session is to take place from 1 to 3 p.m., where the appropriations request is listed in the agenda.

Hughes said it is important for students to pay attention to Board of Regents activities, especially when tuition is top talk.

“This is kind of a big meeting with the appropriations request coming in,” Hughes said. “I think, especially with respect to tuition and fees, the money that students pay, everything gets approved or set by the regents, so if a student has an issue with that, the regents are the body that makes those decisions.”