Regents to vote on residence room rates

Julie Rule

A report on the state legislative session and a vote on residence hall room rates will be among the major topics of discussion during the Board of Regents meeting today at the University of Iowa.

Regent David Fisher said there will be a report on legislative action on state appropriations to the regent universities.

“We probably won’t have much concrete, but there will probably be some discussion on the appropriations,” he said.

The regents will also approve the residence hall room rates for the 2001-02 year, Fisher said.

“There’s been very little discussion on that prior, so I don’t see it as being a major issue,” he said.

The proposed rate for a double occupancy room with full board at Iowa State is $4,666, which is a 5.3 percent increase from this year, according to the agenda.

ISU Interim President Richard Seagrave said he doesn’t think there will be much debate on the residence hall rates.

“The residence system rates were pretty thoroughly discussed last time,” he said. “I anticipate that will go pretty quickly.”

Seagrave said a report on the priority study group issue on distributed education might be a source of discussion.

“[It might generate] discussion about how we coordinate distance learning in the state,” he said.

Stork also said he hoped the report on distributed learning would promote some discussion.

“That’s been a fairly long-standing effort to look at distance education in the state and determine how the regent institutions can provide more of a focus and coordination,” he said.

Seagrave said the meeting will also give regent university presidents a chance to talk about the state appropriations, and it will be the last meeting for regents Roger Lande, Beverly Smith and Ellengray Kennedy.

“It’s a pretty lean agenda this time,” he said. “We don’t see much on here that’s going to generate any discussion.”