A room and board increase of 7.75 percent for Iowa State will be discussed by the Board of Regents when it meets Wednesday on the ISU campus.

The Department of Residence has recommended the increase to the board, said Kate Bruns, communication specialist for the Department of Residence.

Bruns said the increase for the 2003-04 school year can be attributed mainly to the change in the meal plans offered by the university.

“Iowa State has changed the types of meal plans offered,” she said.

The proposed increased rates are higher for Iowa State than other Regents universities because Iowa State is offering a wider variety of options.

“Meals used to be distributed daily,” Bruns said. “Now they are distributed weekly, and all plans have more Dining Dollar$.”

The options being offered to ISU students include a larger variety of food, more locations for students to dine, and use of dining dollars at places like the M-Shop, the cafe at Reiman Gardens and all C-Stores, Bruns said.

Students are also being presented with more housing options, Bruns said.

“Students are wanting different and fancier options,” she said. “That is why we’ve opened placed like the Union Drive Suites.”

Keith Twombley, president of the Inter-Residence Hall Association, does not agree students want fancier options.

“The Department of Residence is still operating under the impression that students are willing to pay more for more services,” he said. “Their reason for thinking this is based on a survey taken in 1998, and let me tell you, 1998 had a totally different economy than we have today.”

Twombley, senior in computer science, said students do not necessarily want to pay for more amenities.

Two examples Twombley gave are the 75/25 Program and the Fresh Start Program.

“These programs are costing us more and the upperclassmen are being kicked out of their home, and that is not a service,” he said.

However, Twombley said both he and IRHA are in favor of the meal plan being offered to students.

The IRHA Parliament passed the room and board increase, which was lumped together by the Department of Residence on Feb. 6 because of the meal plan.

“We liked the board rates, so we passed the increase although a lot of people were against it,” he said. “If we acted divisively, the Board of Regents might disapprove the whole plan and away goes our dining option.”

Twombley said IRHA has never not passed a room increase.

“The Department of Residence presents the plans to parliament with the attitude that these are how things are going to happen anyway,” he said. “They ask for input, and when we give it, it’s ignored.”

T.J. Schneider, president of the Government of the Student Body, said he is also in favor of the new meal plan options.

“From what was presented to [GSB], the meal plan seems reasonable enough,” he said. “It would provide for more portability and services students will utilize.”

Regarding the room rates, Schneider said Iowa State is doing a lot of building while facing the challenge of a decreasing number of new freshman classes.

Liz Bryan, freshman in apparel merchandising, said with tuition rates and university fees increasing, the bill is getting outrageous. Because of the growing prices Bryan said she has opted to live in an apartment next year.

“With all the price increases it makes me feel as though I’m in Ames to live, not learn,” she said. “It costs more to just live in the dorms than it does to learn at Iowa State.”

Megan Peiffer, freshman in political science, said she would like to know the reason behind the price increases.

“[Administrators] should provide more reasons as to why the prices are going up,” she said. “No one ever tells [students] why.”

The regents will meet at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.