The financial future of higher education in Iowa was the main topic of Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting.

The decision about the proposed 18.5 percent tuition increase for the 2002-2003 academic year will not be made until November’s meeting, but the Regents heard proposals and requests from students and university administrators from across the state.

Gov. Tom Vilsack announced last week the original $18.56 million de-appropriation from Iowa State’s budget was reduced to $11.4 million.

Presidents from Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa spoke to the Regents about how these budget crunches are impacting their institutions.

Faculty furloughs are no longer being considered by Iowa State as a cost-cutting measure, said ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, but Iowa State will have increased class sizes and a reduction in the number of sections and course offerings for Spring 2002. Further cuts in the next few years may result in the elimination of programs offered by Iowa State, he said.

Geoffroy said the Board will take student comments seriously.

“Students made very logical arguments and I think [the Board] will listen to what they heard,” he said.

Government of the Student Body President Andy Tofilon tried to give a student’s perspective of the increase.

“There are many students living paycheck to paycheck, loan to loan and year to year trying to make ends meet,” he said. “Many students will leave with thousands of dollars in debt and no tassel to show for it.”

Tofilon said he felt a glimmer of hope when he saw the Regents’ engagement in the student presentations.

“I think the Board is seriously looking at the effects this will have on students,” he said.

Charlie Johnson, GSB vice president, said Thursday’s presentations were an initial step – conversations and collaboration with the regents will follow in the next few weeks.

One advocate for students is Lisa Ahrens, a regent who is also an ISU student, he said.

“She understands exactly what students are going through,” Johnson said. “She is a very good friend to students.”

Ahrens said she supports a base tuition increase of 15.5 percent, the same figure proposed by Tofilon and Johnson in their presentation.

“There is some room for discussion among the Board, and I’m working very hard on that,” Ahrens said. “It’s going to be an uphill battle.”

She encouraged students and parents to get involved by talking to the regents and the state Legislature and presenting the impact of the increase.

“Not just emotional `this is going to be hard on me,’ but quantitative examples that can prove the impact,” she said.

Regent David Fisher of West Des Moines said if the 18.5 percent base tuition increase is approved in November, the Iowa regent universities still will attract students.

“Students are willing to pay, because the education here is still a good value,” he said. “We will still be in a very competitive position, and students are voting with their feet.”

Regent Clarkson Kelly of Charles City said he is in favor of a 19.5 percent increase.

“I have great sympathy for the student position, but our power doesn’t allow us to veto the governor’s actions,” he said. “In the interest of quality, tuition must increase.”

Tofilon said he was concerned the student leaders’ presentations were the last item on the board’s agenda.

“The regents are not very good at hearing from regular students,” he said. “They listen to us, because we hound them.”

He said police presence was requested because there was some concern about possible student reaction at the meeting.

Charles Dobbs, executive assistant to the ISU president, said he didn’t see any uniformed officers at the meeting, but DPS involvement is not unusual.

“There were a couple of DPS officers there, but they always walk by public events these days,” he said.

The regents agreed to make a recommendation to the Iowa Legislature that the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School and the Iowa School for the Deaf be exempt from the 4.3 percent cut proposed by the governor.

The Iowa Code ensures free appropriate public education for students with disabilities, said Dennis Thurman, superintendent of the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School.

“I’m afraid we’re going to run up against a wall of legal trouble,” he said.