Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Summary of Consultation Letters Regarding Tuition and Fees, FY2016 (Updated June 15, 2015)
College/University submissions may contain Revenue Fund Letters not rated
College/University
Rec'd Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Neutral
Alexandria Technical and Community College
X
X
Anoka Technical College
X
X
X
X
X
X
Bemidji State University
X
X
Central Lakes College
X
X
Century College
X
X
Dakota County Technical College
X
X
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
X
X
X
X
X
X
Inver Hills Community College
X
X
Lake Superior College
X
X
Metropolitan State University
X
X
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
X
X
Minnesota State College - Southeast Technical
Red Wing
Winona
X
X
X
X
Minnesota State Community and Technical College
Detroit Lakes
Fergus Falls
Moorhead
Wadena
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Minnesota State University, Mankato
X
X
Minnesota State University Moorhead
X
X
Minnesota West Community and Technical College:
Canby
Granite Falls
Jackson
Luverne
Pipestone
Worthington
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Normandale Community College
X
X
Northeast Higher Education District:
Hibbing Community College
Itasca Community College
Mesabi Range College
Rainy River Community College
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
Cambridge
Coon Rapids
Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park
Eden Prairie
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Summary of Consultation Letters Regarding Tuition and Fees, FY2016 (Updated June 15, 2015)
College/University submissions may contain Revenue Fund Letters not rated
College/University
Vermilion Community College
Rec'd Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Neutral
X
X
North Hennepin Community College
X
X
Northland Community and Technical College:
East Grand Forks
Thief River Falls
X
X
X
X
Northwest Technical College
X
X
Pine Technical & Community College
X
X
Hutchinson
Willmar
X
X
X
X
Albert Lea
Austin
Owatonna
X
X
X
X
Rochester Community and Technical College
X
X
St. Cloud State University
X
X
St. Cloud Technical and Community College
X
X
Saint Paul College
X
X
X
X
X
X
Southwest Minnesota State University
X
X
Winona State University
X
X
Ridgewater College:
Riverland Community College:
X
X
South Central College:
Faribault
North Mankato
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul MN 55101
Chair Renier and Trustees,
As per MnSCU policy 2.3, I am writing today to outline the budget consultation process that took place
at Anoka Technical College over the last year.
We had consultation meetings on October 8th, February 25th, and April 8th. President Hanson and CFO
Lewis attended in October and April. CFO Lewis attended in February. Local budget issues were also
presented during a General Advisory Meeting I attended on October 20th and an updated presentation
was given to students on October 29th; President Hanson and CFO Lewis were present at both of those
meetings. I also met privately with President Hanson and CFO Lewis on March 31st.
Given the amount of uncertainty concerning the House and Senate’s budget proposals and what they
will mean for MnSCU, we do not yet know what will happen with tuition rates for next year. However,
several models had been prepared for us representing best case/worse case scenarios. Based on those
models, we have a good idea of what to expect depending on the level of additional funding provided to
the MnSCU system.
President Hanson and CFO Lewis have been very enthusiastic about working with students over the last
year and their willingness to keep us informed has been very much appreciated.
Thank you,
Adam Welter
Student Senate President Anoka
Anoka Technical College
welter.adam1135@gmail.com
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul MN 55101
Dear Chancellor Rosenstone and Trustees,
As Requested by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board policy 2.3), this letter will outline
the tuition consultation process that recently took place at Anoka Ramsey Community College,
Cambridge Campus.
The campus administration reached out to the Cambridge Student Senate on September 24, 2014
to schedule meetings to discuss tuition consultation. President Hanson and CFO Don Lewis
attended three budget consultation meetings as well as an individual meeting with Don Lewis
and myself to further discuss the budget for FY16. During all of the meetings CFO Lewis and
President Hanson were willing to listen and answer any questions or remarks that the students
had as well as respect each student’s opinion on the matter. Any materials that were needed were
easily accessible to students as needed.
Due to the ambiguity and the unknown of how much will be allocated to MnSCU, the
administration did a phenomenal job on proposing various scenarios that were dependent on how
much was allocated to MnSCU schools. The administration proposed a 2.5% increase in the
event that we do not have a tuition freeze in order to keep the school at a healthy place. The
Student Life Budget Committee also voted for a $0.40 increase in the Student Life Fee, and all
other fees including Athletics, Technology and Parking remained the same.
The student senate felt very involved in the entire process, and felt that our opinion was valued,
considered, and carried out during the process. Due to the ambiguity of the budget consultation
process this year, there was nothing for the students to vote on considering we are unaware of
how much will be allocated to MnSCU.
CFO Don Lewis, and President Hanson made it clear that we were able and still are able to
contact them with any questions or concerns regarding the college’s financial health as well as
potential tuition changes for the coming year.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding Anoka Ramsey
Community College, Cambridge Campus. It truly has been an honor and a pleasure to be able to
work with such an accommodating and student-oriented Administration. Thank you for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Shayla McKinney-Buck, Student Senate President; smckinney-buck1@my.anokaramsey.edu
Dear Board of Trustee Members,
My name is Kevin Parker, Student Senate President at Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon
Rapids. I'm writing to detail the in-depth budget consultation that my senate and I received from
President Kent Hanson and our VP of administration and finance Don Lewis.
We were shown budget numbers as early as fall detailing a rough visual of what the numbers
looked like so that we could discuss them briefly. The conversation was able to develop into
much more detail once MnSCU's budget request was available, and we covered various
scenarios from full funding to a quarter funding and what that would mean for the college. We
also discussed what we could do or what would be the goal if there was a tuition freeze or not,
based on each of those levels of funding. This conversation was discussed once more once the
house and senate omnibus bills for higher education were released. With the potential for freeze
from the house and the one percent tuition reduction being proposed, and the relatively low
numbers being proposed by both house and senate, we took a hard look at our budget. The
conversation was candid and thorough, and the potential limitations on investment in the campus
or outright cuts we may need to make were reasonable and acceptable. Don and Kent have
proven at Anoka-Tech they will keep students involved in the process and consider their input
seriously throughout hard times and I have the utmost faith that whatever falls they have proven
to be open and fair.
As to our fee committees, the student senate supports a forty five cent increase to our tech fee as
it has not gone up in several years, and it actually went down a dollar when our health and
wellness revenue fund was completed to compensate for the new fee. We also support a fifteen
cent increase to our health and wellness revenue fund fee as it's current amount sets it anywhere
from thirty to fifty thousand dollars in the red currently. It has a several hundred thousand
reserve so it is currently safe, but we support sliding the fee up the fifteen cents to help with
getting it into a healthier place. Each year the revenue generated from renting the building out
increases as well, so our hope is that between this minor increase and the continued trend of
increased rentals, it will balance with minimal to no increase in the following year. Our student
life, athletic, and parking fees shall remain where they are currently.
The administration of Anoka-Ramsey Coon Rapids have proven invaluable resources and have
treated the students as partners throughout this process and we are extraordinarily grateful.
Sincerely,
Kevin Parker
Student Senate President ARCC
kparker2@my.anokaramsey.edu
7634331290
From: Brittany Hull [mailto:Brittany.Hull@live.bemidjistate.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 10:54 AM
To: Jenna Long; Richard Hanson
Cc: Megan Vilmain; Jill Ward; William Maki
Subject: Re: Tuition
Hello,
Thank you for adding me to this conversation, I also agree a 3% increase is appropriate and reasonable.
Thank you,
Brittany Hull
________________________________________
From: Jenna Long
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2015 10:49 PM
To: Richard Hanson
Cc: Megan Vilmain; Jill Ward; William Maki; Brittany Hull
Subject: Re: Tuition
President Hanson,
As my and Megan's terms have ended I have copied Brittany Hull in this message so that she can get caught up and connect
with you. She is the new president and her term has already begun.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and just for the record as a student I think that a 3% increase is perfectly
reasonable.
Best,
Jenna Long
Sent from my iPhone
> On May 21, 2015, at 1:25 PM, Richard Hanson <RHanson@bemidjistate.edu> wrote:
> Jenna and Megan:
>
> As you know, the legislature has completed its work on a higher education bill, and has created a set of rules for us to
observe. For BSU (and all universities in MnSCU) our tuition rate is frozen for 2017. The bill in the state legislature was
silent for the universities in 2016. This is the reason for my note.
>
> We would like your consultation on a proposed 3% hike in tuition for 2016. This request will be put together with the
requests from the other six universities and presented to the Board of Trustees in June. The BSU request will be the lowest
of the universities and will help us create an operating budget for 2016 that will be responsive to our needs and balanced.
As you know, there have been no tuition rate increases for at least a biennium. It is our hope that this adjustment will be
seen as appropriate and reasonable.
>
> Please let us (Bill Maki or me) know your reaction to this question.
>> DH
>> Richard A. Hanson
> President
> Bemidji State University
Student Senate
Central Lakes College
501 West College Drive
Brainerd, MN 56401
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Greetings Chancellor Rosenstone, Chair Renier, and Trustees,
I write to you in regards to MnSCU’s Student Consultation Policy 2.3 on the tuition consultation process
representing both the Staples and Brainerd Central Lakes College campuses, as our Student Senate has
become one.
Tuition Consultation meetings accumulated a total of 6 hours, and were held on November 7, April 13,
April 20, and April 23. President Larry Lundblad, Vice President of Administrative Services and CFO Kari
Christiansen, and various Student Senate members were in attendance. An overview of changing fees,
the college budget/budget assumptions, and this letter were presented to the Student Senate on April
23.
The Central Lakes College Student Senate has approved the Technology Fee Committee’s
recommendations, including maintaining the $10.00 per credit fee. The Student Life Fee Committee’s
recommendations have also been approved, increasing the fee to $8.40. CFO Christiansen has informed
us no other fee changes will be altered.
In addition, the Central Lakes College Student Senate has taken a stance supporting the opportunity to
change tuition differential, as third-party costs are increasing. Discussion surrounded the importance of
a quality education, despite the possibility of tuition increasing. State funding is incredibly vital to the
success of our students and excellence of services we are able to provide.
Consultation was overall satisfactory, and will continue after the Minnesota legislature confirms an
operating budget for MnSCU. Furthermore, President Lundblad and CFO Christiansen were both
incredibly informative, accommodating to any meeting dates, and welcoming to all questions.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the Central Lakes
College Brainerd & Staples tuition consultation process. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Anna Stevens
Student Senate President
Central Lakes College
(763) 248-3235; studentsenate@go.clcmn.edu
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
50 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul MN 55101
Chancellor Rosenstone, Chair Renier and Trustees:
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College’s administration prides itself in providing a high
quality education to its students. Part of that education is allowing the two student governments
to make budget decisions concerning the Student Life Funds. Fond du Lac Tribal and
Community College is unique because we have an Anishinaabe Student Council and a Student
Senate. Both the Senate and the Council are involved in the budget process. The Student Life
Committee meets about 4 to 5 times a year. We recently met on 2 April 2015 to review and make
final recommendations for the upcoming budget year.
President Larry Anderson, Vice President Don Carlson and Chief Financial Officer Stephanie
Hammitt have included the Student Senate in the overall budget process. The year 2015 has been
a chaotic year for budget decisions. The wait time with the Minnesota government decision
making process has not made the budget process easy. The Student Senate has been involved in
the process and we have met with Larry Anderson, Don Carlson and Stephanie Hammitt on a
formal basis and an informal basis. The last meeting was on 27 March 2015. The administration
continues to keep the student leadership informed concerning the budget process for Fond du Lac
Tribal and Community College. The final budget numbers are being put into the system now.
There will be another meeting with the administration to discuss how the new budget numbers
will affect Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.
Respectfully,
Gordon L. Loree
Student Senate President
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Chair Renier and Trustees:
As requested by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board policy 2.3), this letter will outline the
tuition consultation process that recently took place at Hennepin Technical College – Brooklyn Park
Campus.
I met with HTC’s Chief Financial Officer Craig Erickson to consult on the 2015-16 college budget on
February 19, March 22, and April 14, 2015. The meetings were also attended by Marilyn Krasowski –
Interim VP of Academic Affairs, Dara Hagen – Dean of Student Success Services, Jessica Lauritsen –
Director of Student Life & Eden Prairie Campus Student Senate Advisor, Jonathan Stuart – CTS Faculty &
Brooklyn Park Campus Student Senate Advisor, and Jesus Luna – Eden Prairie Campus Student Senate
President. I met with Mr. Erickson again on April 30, 2015. There have also been budget proposal
discussions within student forums, across different dates in March & April.
The Administration has made itself very accessible throughout the process. Mr. Erickson provided all of
the background materials necessary (requested & volunteered) to allow the student senate to
independently review and understand the data. He has also entertained & answered every inquiry we’ve
made, which has allowed us to better grasp all of the aspects of the process and decision making.
It is apparent that our institution has been facing significant challenges. This is quite evident after a
review of the numerous worksheets, financial schedules, and our CFI track over the last dozen years.
With that said, we have seen quite an extraordinary effort from the Administration to provide the
students with more, while working with less. They are definitely conscious, and make every effort to
avoid impacting students negatively! I believe it’s high time that MnSCU, the Board of Trustees and the
state Legislature begin to do their part.
From all appearances, our Administration is quite active in reviewing the data and trends in our
operations. They hope to uncover areas where we can operate more efficiently, without raising
fees/tuition. These techniques are standard, but there are many areas in which the Administration has
been forced to make difficult reductions to extract cost savings. Those include reducing non-personnel
budgets, and hiring temporary labor to fill vacancies. Just in the last year, the Repair and Betterment
budget has been reduced by $1 million, the equipment budget by $500k and staff reductions (19 and
counting) continue. They’ve also recently announced the closure of two programs. Some of these things
certainly may have been necessary adjustments, but there are factors that exist that suggest that there
are just simply not enough resources being invested into Minnesota’s higher education.
Being a student government officer and advocate on campus, I have the opportunity to hear the stories
of students, and how they’re affected by these cuts, every day. Some are documented, and many are
not. I think it’s fair to suggest that in order to turn out the best graduates; an institution must employ
and maintain the best talent to lead their classes. One outstanding grievance I hear from students on my
campus is the scarcity of people to support them in a timely fashion, in one form or another. I’ll go into
some detail later, but it must be said that with 40 year old buildings, we need an increase in repairs (and
betterment), not a decrease. We are very fortunate to have had recently received $700k in industry
donations of equipment! I’m assuming they’re unloading some of the old, and embracing the new,
cutting edge technology in their businesses. We need to get some of that action too! What better way is
there to attract new students, increase enrollment, and stay relevant, than to make some of that new
technology available on our campuses?
The Administration has characterized the cost of energy being another compelling challenge, especially
as it relates to the restraints surrounding our HEAPR funding. Even though we have older buildings
which have been identified as needing new roofs, we’ve been lucky to keep our annual repair and
maintenance expenditures at roughly $330k. Our luck ran out in 2014 when a leak cost us over $1
million. That just happened to be the same year that natural gas prices shot up and now cost the
institution over (an additional) $250k per year! We need dry, warm & safe spaces. Period.
Another challenge our institution faces comes from MnSCU required upgrades to various internal,
operational technologies. I imagine with the conversation and much needed action surrounding
‘transferability,’ this expense will continue to be relevant. Our students trust that MnSCU is using facts
such as these (and others) to convince the Legislature of the importance of supporting the higher
education budgetary request of $142 million (or more).
The student voice, as represented by the Student Senate of our sister campus Eden Prairie, has
expressed a desire to increase the Student Life fee here at Hennepin Technical College. We on the
Brooklyn Park campus have entertained some lively discussion at our senate functions, and have not
been able to come to a consensus. I conducted an independent survey of our student body and reached
152 students directly. I will gladly present all of the data, as well as the collection practice(s) upon your
request. For the sake of brevity though, I present the following. The question: do you support a fee
increase to provide additional funds for clubs, events/activities, workshops & a new staff person to
support Student Life on campus exclusively? The results: 64 – yes, 40 – no, 34 – not sure, and 16 – don’t
care.
In closing, I’d like to say a few personal words. I am a transplant and live in Minnesota by choice. One of
the things I appreciate most about this state, as it pertains to the benefits to my family, is the long
standing reputation and infrastructure for producing an educated and highly skilled workforce. I think I
understand how that legacy came to be true. I recently discovered that after the World Wars, veterans
returning home to Minnesota were greeted with the construction of new technical colleges and 100%
funding through the state legislature. Wow! What a healthy way to support the growth of jobs,
businesses, families, spending, the tax base and overall economy?! Why aren’t we investing in methods
that are tried and true? Let’s get back to the basics of building a strong state/nation, by investing in
people through higher education!
Sincerely,
Roger A. Brown, Student Senate President, rbrown044@my.hennepintech.edu
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St Paul MN 55101
Chair Renier and Trustees,
As requested by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board Policy 2.3), this letter will outline the
budget consultation process that recently took place at Inver Hills Community College. The process
pleased students. However, students do have suggestions for the next consultation to ensure a more
comprehensive review.
Student Senate (also known as Senate) met with Vice President of Administrative Services/Chief
Financial Officer Dee Bernard on November 20th, February 5th, March 5th, and 19th. During these
meetings, she informed students about the college’s financial state, higher education legislation spending,
a proposed fee increase, and other various items identified as issues by students. Student Senators, the
Senate Executive Team, and Senate Advisors (Nicki Bottko and Zack Sullivan) were all present. Interim
Vice President of Student Affairs Jessie Stumpf and Director of Student Life Jason Neuhaus also attended
on several occasions to help answer student questions. When requested, Mark Peterson, Director of
Academic Technology & Computing Services, came to a Senate meeting and was able to better inform
students on how technology might be affected by strained finances. During the budget consultation
process, Dee expressed that she was willing to meet with students and answer questions or respond to
comments. Jason and Nicki were receiving to students and answered questions to the best of their
knowledge. Zack was on hand to clarify the situation at the Capitol and how Inver may be impacted by
government funding.
Overall, Administration did a sufficient job in arranging adequate materials to assist students to better
understand the budget and other related items. For the next consultation, students would like to see more
detail on budgetary items that affect us and to see those items categorized in a way that is easily
understandable. Students enjoyed hearing from the IT department and hope to hear from Health Services
and other departments for every future budget consultation.
Senate was able to have several discussions on the implications of a fee increase, with Senators speaking
to various student populations about their opinions. From these discussions, Senate passed motions to
approve an overall fee increase of $0.51 to be directed toward the following departments, in order of
priority to the students: (1) IT, (2) Health Services, and (3) Student Life. We also welcome the
opportunity to partner with Administration to implement additional financial literacy training for IHCC
students.
Please contact me if you have any questions or comments, or would like clarification on Senate’s
experience with the budget consultation this year. Thank you for your time.
Cheers,
LyLy Vang-Yang
Student Senate President
Inver Hills Community College
sspresident@inverhills.edu
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East 7th Street
St. Paul MN 55101
Chair Rosenstone and Trustees:
As requested by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board policy 2.3), this letter will outline the
tuition consultation process that recently took place at Lake Superior College.
The Student Senate met with Administration on the 24th of October and the 17th of May. President
Patrick Johns and Vice President of Administration Al Finlayson were in attendance to both meetings.
Interim Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Mike Seymour was in attendance at the meeting
in April.
Detailed spreadsheets outlining potential budget changes were provided to the Senate and thoroughly
explained by Al Finlayson. Being the Administrator in charge of Lake Superior College’s budget, Al was
able to answer all questions senators asked during the consultation. He explained why he made each
change in the budget, and why certain cuts were being made in order to balance it. Many of the line
items were discussed in length at the meeting.
The Administration here at Lake Superior College has always been extremely helpful and available to the
student senate in regards to the consultation process and any other issue on campus.
Overall, the senate approved the new budget changes. We believe the budget represents the changes
many schools have had to make as a result of lowering tuition and state appropriation.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding Lake Superior College’s
tuition consultation process. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Joseph John, Student Senate President, im8442qj@my.lsc.edu
5/1/2015
Chancellor Rosenstone
Minnesota State College and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul MN 55101
Chancellor Rosenstone:
As required, by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board policy 2.3), this letter will outline the tuition
consultation process that Avelino Mills-Novoa [Interim President of Minneapolis Community and
Technical College] and I engaged in on the Minneapolis Community and Technical College campus.
Our Student Senate Executive Board met with MCTC Administration during our usual monthly meeting
on Wednesday, February 25th, at which time we discussed our reserve funds and how it effects our CFI.
We were also informed that an increase would be dependent on state support. At our March meeting
between the Student Senate Executive Board and MCTC Administration, we were informed that based
on state budget projections, there will not be a tuition increase for the next period, nor is there a
recommendation from the Administration to increase student fees. We discussed the Health Services
fee at our most recent meeting with the Administration on Wednesday April 29th, 2015. As a means to
gain revenue and attend to the budget shortfalls [due to declining enrollment] through our on campus
clinic (run by Boynton Health), our Student Senate Executive Board then voted unanimously to allow all
faculty and staff use of the services that are offered on campus. Faculty and staff will be required to use
their insurance to pay for said services and also to pay any copay for services rendered as per their
respective health insurance stipulations. The Administration also informed us that there will be no
proposed increase/change to Student Center fees nor IT fees.
Although the Administration has not proposed any fee or tuition increases, MCTC’s Student Life Budget
Committee, after 40 plus hours of deliberation, has proposed a $0.50 cent increase to the Student Life
fee which would raise the current fee from $4.75 to $5.25. This increase is to cover our budget deficit
that we incurred due to declining enrollment, raises in salaries as per contract agreements, and
significant increases in requests for funds from the SLBC. SLBC and the Student Senate Executive Board
presented the proposed increase to the students at a ‘town hall’ style meeting on Tuesday April 14th,
2015 but due to short notice there weren’t many students in attendance. We then presented the
proposed increase to the entire Student Senate Wednesday April 15th, 2015 and were met with a lot of
questions and decided collectively to hold another ‘Town Hall’ meeting to continue discussion. The
second town hall meeting was held Tuesday April 21st, 2015. Finally at our Student Senate meeting on
April 22nd, 2015 our entire MCTC Student Senate was presented with the proposal again, entertained
some more brief discussion on the increase and changes to the budget, and voted for the increase. For
all intents and purposes, the proposed $0.50 cent increase to the Student Life fee was approved by our
MCTC Student Senate with 35 votes in favor, 5 votes against, and zero abstentions. The motion passed,
and the 2015-2016 Student Life Budget was approved.
At our final meeting with the Administration on Wednesday April 29th, 2015, the Student Senate
Executive Board presented the approved SLBC Budget to the Administration and informed them that the
Senate had voted to accept the $0.50 cent increase.
At this time, the MCTC Student Senate Executive Board feels that our Administration did a great job at
keeping us informed on issues pertaining to our College’s budget and tuition. Mr. Scott Erickson did a
wonderful job at explaining what the Reserve Funds are, how the Reserve Fund affects our CFI, and what
a low CFI means for MCTC and our students. Avelino Mills-Novoa was very adamant about informing us
whenever something happened on the state level that could possibly affect our tuition and the
projected ‘plan of action’ that the administration would take in any given situation. I really appreciated
having such an open repertoire with all of our Administration as it gave us a great sense of trust in our
leaders, and really let us know that they are all working very hard to serve the best interests of our
students here at MCTC. It was truly a pleasure, honor, and privilege to work with such dedicated men
and women this past year.
Those present at the meetings include: Interim President Avelino Mills-Novoa, Vice President of Finance
and Operations Scott Erickson, Vice President of Student Affairs Patrick Troup, Dean of Enrollment
Management Laura Fedock, Student Life Advisor Tara Martinez, Student Life Advisor Shannon Williams,
Staff member Jessica Shryack, Student Senate President Ah-Nung Matrious, S.S. Vice President Estefania
Navarro, S.S. Director of Legislative Affairs Nate Krantz, S.S. Director of Finance Gustavo Marqueez, S.S.
Director of Sustainability Carrie Menke, S.S. Director of Communications Sheldon Fitwi, S.S. Director of
Diversity Kelvin Thoulouis, S.S. Director of Health and Wellness Michele Jimenez, and MSCSA Platform
Representative for Metro West Dylan Kelly.
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me via email or phone at:
PresSenate@minneapolis.edu
ahnungmat@gmail.com
(218) 415-1444
Thank you,
Ah-Nung Matrious
MCTC Student Senate President
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Chancellor Rosenstone and Trustees:
As requested by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board policy 2.3), this letter will outline
the tuition consultation process that recently took place at Minnesota State College-Southeast
Technical, Red Wing campus.
Our Student Senate had the chance to meet with our administration on March 4th as well as
March 25th to discuss the 2015 – 2016 budget. The first meeting was attended by President Dr.
Dorothy Duran and VP of Finance Mike Kroening along with the whole Senate. The first
meeting was to outline our discussion and make sure that everyone knew the purpose of the
consultation.
The second meeting was attended by VP of Finance Mike Kroening, the entire Senate and a
collection of students from various programs around our college. Everyone was provided with a
printout of the budget as well as a fee breakdown for the school.
The Administration said they are proposing no fee increases as well as the promise to not raise
tuition for the upcoming year. They also made us aware of several lay-offs within the college.
Mike Kroening also laid out the four part plan created by the Cabinet to improve the financial
standing of Southeast Technical.
It is the Senates opinion that the consultation process was followed and that enough discussion
was allowed to consider it successful.
Both the President and VP of Finance made their contact information available for any follow up
questions or discussion that students felt might be necessary.
Feel free to contact me at any time with questions or comments in regard to Minnesota State
College-Southeast Technical, Red Wing’s budget consultation. Thank you for your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Joe Henderson
Student Senate President
Minnesota State College-Southeast Technical
joeh4552@gmail.com
Student Senate
218.477.2150 T
218.477.5050 F
studentsenate@mnstate.edu
Wednesday, May 27th 2015
To Whom It May Concern,
This letter is being written per MnSCU Board Procedure 2.3.1 (Student Involvement in Decision
Making), regarding the university budget and legislative allocations, differential tuition, and the Housing and
Residential Life rates.
Then-Vice President for Finance and Administration Jan Mahoney, then-Associate Vice President for
Finance and Administration (and Jan Mahoney’s successor) Jean Hollaar, Interim Provost Michelle Malott,
and Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Yvette Underdue-Murph met with
representatives from the Student Senate on Friday, February 6th 2015, Wednesday, March 4th 2015, and
Thursday, April 2nd 2015, presenting the budgetary scenarios (or “bookends”) and additional information,
such as enrollment numbers and planning timelines. At the Student Senate Meet and Confer on Thursday,
April 16th, 2015 President Blackhurst, Interim Provost Malott, Vice President Underdue-Murph, and Vice
President Hollaar came to speak and formally presented to the full Senate their budget and additional
information. Overall, I and the Student Senate were comfortable with the information and materials
presented. They were presented with enough time to review and consider, the Student Senate had ample
opportunity to ask questions. A little more time for the full Senate to consider the information would have
been ideal, but there were no real concerns. The real issue was that the legislative session and the allocations
were not yet concluded at the time of the meetings and consultations, and that it extended beyond the end of
the Senate term and the semester.
Following the conclusion of the legislative session, President Blackhurst contacted myself to set up a
meeting to discuss the $100 million allocation and its effect on Minnesota State University Moorhead’s
budget. We mutually agreed to meet on Tuesday, May 26th 2015. In attendance was myself, the Student Body
Vice President Megan Parks (who had also served as a part of the earlier meetings with administration
officials) and Vice President Hollaar. At that meeting, they presented the recommendation of a$237 increase
per FTE in tuition, which would be 3.4 percent. The Student Senate of Minnesota State University Moorhead
had been speaking with its constituents since the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester regarding the tuition
freeze and possible outcomes. No student wants to say “Yes, please increase my costs”, but across the board,
the overwhelming response was that the students wanted to preserve, as much as possible, the programs and
services the university offered, especially in light of the rather brutal cuts of previous years. Therefore, we
were prepared and do not disagree with the recommendation. If anything, we were prepared for a higher
increase. This does lead to one concern from myself and Student Body Vice President Parks – namely, that
the 3.4 percent increase is not enough, with the enrollment decline and increase in expenditures, to get a
balanced budget and, barring a supplemental funding bill from the legislature or some sort of new revenue
source, cuts will need to be made at some point. The administration was receptive to the questions and
comments brought up during the meeting.
Regarding the differential tuition rates, Vice President Hollaar came to the Thursday, May 7th 2015
Student Senate meeting to present and discuss the changes, with a list of the courses, the amount to be
increased, and the justification for the changes. The Student Senate asked questions and occasionally
challenged the proposal. After deliberation, the Student Senate approved the differential tuition changes as
proposed. The only real (and minor) concern expressed by some members involved was the relatively short
notice for the changes – notice was provided on Wednesday, May 6th 2015 that the administration wished to
get input and potential approval for the changes, but enough time was available at the meeting to discuss and
analyze effectively.
Student Senate
218.477.2150 T
218.477.5050 F
studentsenate@mnstate.edu
Finally, regarding the Housing and Residential Life room and board rates, Heather Phillips, the
Director of Housing and Residential Life, came to both the Thursday, April 16th 2015 and Thursday, April 23rd
2015 Student Senate meetings to present and discuss the proposal. The April 16th meeting was devoted to the
presentation and questioning by the Student Senate regarding the rates and the current financial and
operational situation of the Housing and Residential Life Department. The Thursday, April 23rd meeting was
spent with a few follow-up questions and then the vote by the Student Senate to approve the
recommendations. However, concerns were raised by some Student Senate members about the fact that the
detailed proposals were presented on a somewhat short notice, that there was no real breakdown or
specification of the rate changes, and that more time to question would have been preferable.
Should there be any questions or concerns, or if more information is felt to be required on any of
these topics, the Student Senate contact information is in the header of this letter. Additionally, feel free to
contact me at duckwortse@mnstate.edu or (510)-685-4669.
Sincerely,
Sean Duckworth
Minnesota State University Moorhead Student Body President
Minnesota State University Student Association Director for Moorhead
Student Senate
218.477.2150 T
218.477.5050 F
studentsenate@mnstate.edu
To Whom It May Concern,
I begin this letter with apologies, as there was confusion as to what the contents of this letter was
intended to entail given the current status with state higher education funding. I am writing to confirm that
both I, and the MSUM Student Senate, feel that we were properly consulted in congruence with Board
Procedure 2.3.1. Student Involvement in Decision Making.
President Blackhurst and her administration consulted with me in One-on-One meetings through the
month of April, and met with my Senate on the April 16th Meet and Confer. After some deliberation, we are
comfortable with the proposed bookends, given that state allocations are being questioned at this point, and
we will continue to advocate for a tuition freeze for the students.
Vice President Jean Hollar met with our Senate on May 7th to discuss the changes in Differential
Tuition. She approached with needed documents and answered questions. There was no need for a follow up
meeting. We deliberated, and with all questions having been answered, approved the changes for FY16
Differential Tuition unanimously. If there are any changes to this understanding, we ask that the Senate be
consulted again, and have full faith that the administration will approach us in a timely manner as they have
done all year.
Please feel free to contact the Senate if you have any questions in regards to our feelings or votes on
the changes in differential tuition and the budget.
Sincerely,
Cody N. Meyer
President: MSUM Student Senate
MSUSA Director: Moorhead
Chancellor Rosenstone
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul MN 55101
April 22, 2015
Chancellor Rosenstone:
On Tuesday, April 7th, CFO Pat Nordick joined our student government meeting for his
second of two consultations this semester in order to address the current state of the
budget and M State’s plan of action in moving forward. He did his best to help us
understand the many contributing factors affecting the tuition rate – the biggest of which
appear to be state allocation and projected enrollment. After presenting this information,
he described the course of action M State Administration believed would be necessary to
continue current operations under the two most likely state allocation scenarios.
The Student Government of M State Fergus Falls would like to lend its full support in
favor of MNSCU’s FY2016 $47 Million request, which would make the three percent
tuition increase unnecessary in our opinion. Therefore, we would not support the tuition
increase under this scenario.
However, if state legislature decides in favor a lower allocation, then the SGA of M State
Fergus Falls would support a three percent tuition increase for the sake of preserving the
level of service that M State students have come to expect. We don’t believe services
should be compromised just to prevent an increase that would amount to $4.80 per
credit.
With that said, we expect M State Administration to continue to pursue cost-saving
measures that do not compromise service. Pat Nordick was able to give us a brief
rundown of these different efforts. Going forward, we would like to be included in these
efforts whenever possible.
Sincerely,
Kara Rasmussen
Student Government President
Minnesota State Community & Technical College – Fergus Falls
April 29, 2015
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
MnSCU Board of Trustees,
This letter, as requested by the MnSCU student consultation policy, is an outline of the
budget consultation that Minnesota State Community and Technical College’s CFO Pat Nordick
presented on the Wadena campus in the past year. Members attending the Fall 2015 budget
include Student Government Advisor Suzanne Rethemeier and the Student Government
Association President, Executive Board, and Senators. Several meeting were also held with Pat
Nordick in the fall and spring semester and more developed information was presented to
Student Government attendees.
Brief background materials were presented on the budget of the college to every
member in attendance. These materials described in the years proposed budget, possible
outcomes, and directions that Minnesota State Community and Technical College’s budget
could take.
The time of these meetings provided the Student Government Association with proper
time to have discussions and make informed decisions. Students and attendees of the meetings
were welcomed to contact Pat Nordick with any questions, concerns, or comments at any time
by e-mail.
The Student Government Association members appreciate the time that was given to
make an approving assessment of the budget for the following year. There was also some
confusion on the concept of the CFI and how/why it has suddenly become so important.
If there would be a tuition increase of the 3%, we would support that. We feel that it is
worth the increase to be able to keep all of our instructors and faculty members employed. If
we were to not increase this, we would have to make cuts and then lose employees which in
return, will potentially lose programs and possibly even enrollment.
Sincerely,
Joey Price
Student Government Association President
Minnesota State Community and Technical College-Wadena
Itasca Community College
Student Senate
2015-2016 Tuition Consultation
………………………..............................................................
April 17, 2015
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities 500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul MN 55101
To: MNSCU Board of Trustees
Chancellor Rosenstone
On behalf of the Itasca Community College Student Senate, I am pleased to inform you
that, based on bylaws stated in our Itasca Community College Student Senate
Constitution, MnSCU policy, and the student consultation process, our student senate has
had the opportunity to properly become informed of the budget and tuition freeze
proposal for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
During multiple scheduled bi-weekly student senate meetings, I had the opportunity to
discuss with the 16 members of Itasca’s student senate the pros and cons of implementing
tuition freeze in MnScu colleges and universities in the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
Though during many Northeast Regional meetings our student senate has attended and
participated in, many of our neighboring schools expressed that they had experienced loss
in staffing and classroom opportunities and that the tuition freeze negatively impacted
their colleges, Itasca’s Student Senate has encountered a different experience with the
tuition freeze. Based on our last years experience and questions that we have devised
throughout this process which were thoroughly explained by Dr. Michael Raich, the
Itasca Community College Senate has decided to respectfully support the proposal for a
second year tuition freeze in MnScu Colleges and Universities.
While conferring with the members of the Itasca Community College student senate, I
have perceived unanimous satisfaction with the consultation process and updates
provided to us by our Interim Provost, Dr. Michael Raich on November 14, 2014 and
January 17, 2015. We are extremely grateful for his cooperation and flexibility in
gathering with our group.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions in regards to the tuition consultation
process that took place at Itasca Community College.
We wish you luck with your continued discussion and know you will do your best to help
keep Minnesota’s two year colleges and universities running smoothly and successfully,
and would like to thank you for continuing to recognize and consider the voices of our
students.
Sincerely,
Taylor Gulseth
Itasca Community College
Student Senate President
taylor.gulseth@gmail.com
(218) 851-0724
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Chair Rosenstone and Trustees:
As requested by the MnSCU’s student consultation (Board policy 2.3), this letter will outline the
tuition consultation process that recently took place at Mesabi Range College – Virginia campus.
Mesabi Range College’s Virginia and Eveleth Campus Student Senates met with MRC
administration to consult on the college budget. Meeting dates were October 16 and December
18, 2014 and January 29 and April 20, 2015. Dean of Student Affairs, Dave Dailey, and Director
of Finance, Roy Trousdell, attended the meetings along with the senate’s executive board. We
also held a student forum about the budget proposal.
The student body at Mesabi Range College’s Virginia and Eveleth Campuses support the raise of
the student life fee from $6.50 to $7.50. We propose that it will take effect for the 2015-16
academic year. Our senate voted on raising the Student Life Fee a dollar from $6.50 to $7.50.
We felt it would be more effective to provide a wider variety of student activities if this fee was
raised. Our hope is that by increasing the Student Life Fee, we will be helping campus activities
and Student Life for years to come.
President Collins made herself available at any time for comments, questions, or even just casual
chatting. Also President Collin’s team was very helpful and effective when it came to our
questions. When our senate came together and was presented with the budget of the academic
year FYE 2014-2015, we seemed to always agree with what the administrative forum presented
within the budget for our Senate.
If you have any questions or comments in regards to the Mesabi Range College tuition
consultation process. Please contact Cortez Killing or Nicole Carlson -- the presidents of the
Mesabi Range College Virginia and Eveleth campuses.
In closing, we would like to thank President Collins for all her hard work and dedication, not
only for serving our campus but also the North East Higher Education District over the years.
Sincerely,
Cortez Killing, Student Senate President (Virginia,)
Kaitlin Kinnunen, Student Senate Vice President
Nicole Carlson, Student Senate President (Eveleth)
Angela Jackson, Student Senate Vice President
May 1st, 2015
Chancellor Stephen Rosenstone &
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System
Wells Fargo Place
30 7th St. E
St. Paul, MN 55101
Dear Chancellor Rosenstone and members of the Board of Trustees,
Rainy River Community College Student Senate has met with Administration twice this semester
and I have also met with Administration one on one to go over the budget as well for FY 20152016. During the consultation, Provost Carol Helland and Mrs. Ahrens addressed fully any
questions from the Senate and were very prepared with information and tables to show the
various political scenarios to the Student Senate.
Since the outcome of the 2015 legislative session is still in limbo we are unable to take a position
regarding any recommendations. However, as a Senate we strongly urge the Minnesota
Legislature to fully support Governor Dayton’s MnSCU budget request of an additional 142
million for the biennium. Anything less than that would require administrative and/or faculty
cuts. The student’s education would be substantially affected if Rainy River Community College
was cut any further.
We would also like to thank President Collins for her dedication to the students and Rainy River
Community College. Her passion for our college has been evident throughout my term.
Sincerely,
Anja Silvers
Student Senate President
Rainy River Community College
Anja.Silvers@RainyRiver.edu
April 16th 2015
Chancellor Dr. Steven Rosenstone and Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges & Universities
Wells Fargo Place
30 7th St. E. Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804
Dear Dr. Rosenstone and Trustees,
It is a great honor and privilege to write this letter outlining the tuition consultation process which took place on the Normandale
campus over the past year. The process followed in accordance with MnSCU’s Board policy 2.3.
Since early fall 2014 I have had the pleasure of meeting both the Vice President of Finance and Operations, Lisa Wheeler and the
College President, Dr. Joyce Ester . Since the beginning of the consultation process back in October, the Normandale Student Senate
has had open communication with both Dr. Ester and Mrs. Lisa Wheeler regarding the budgeting process. In all, there have been a
total of two budget presentations given to the Student Senate, both semester; students have provided feedback, asked questions and
have been fully engaged throughout the whole process. I also met one-on-one with Mrs. Wheeler in November to first discuss the
current state of the budget.
In addition to the budget presentations, I have been meeting with President Dr. Ester on a monthly basis to discuss issues facing
students and the collective Normandale campus. I have also had meetings with Dean of Students Wanda Kanwischer, and Vice
President of Student Affairs Orinthia Montague to further discuss issues facing students and the changes we will be implementing next
year to accommodate the budget cuts.
In the final budget presentation given on April 14, 2015, President Dr. Ester and Vice President of Finance and Operations, Lisa
Wheeler, recommended that we do not raise tuitions but increase three student fees: technology fee to increase from $8.00 to $8.35,
parking fee to increase from $9.00 to $9.50, and a payment plan fee increase from $20.00 to $25.00. Currently the payment plan we
use, NetLet, charges $20.00 and none of it goes to Normandale. This $5 increase would go directly to Normandale to help support the
expected 3% expense of increase of $2,023,080 just as the other fees will be doing as well. For a student who is taking 30 credit
course load per year and uses the NetLet payment plan, their tuition will remain the same but will have an increase of $35.50 per
semester per year. Enrollment for FYE 16 is projected to be 6,740, which is estimated lower than FYE 15.
After months of consultation and much discussion with Normandale Administration, the Student Senate has decided to endorse the
proposed fee increases; however, we do feel there needs to be a balanced approach to the indecisiveness and inconsistency of our
politicians. With Governor Dayton proposing that higher education receives $240 million, the House proposing $53 million, and the
Senate proposing $205 million, we are not clear on what to think on the budget proposed for higher education. There have been other
proposals for accommodating Normandale’s budget cuts, but we are still fearful as to how our school will make up the deficit. The
relentless increases in fees and tuition year after year are slowly pricing students out of an education, during a time when our economy
is calling for a “highly skilled and educated workforce.” More than half of the students at Normandale are part-time, they have turned
to our college and many other two year institutes around the state because it is affordable solution to getting their education, yet
Minnesota public two-year students pay the third highest tuition and fees in the country and costs continue to rise.
If Normandale or any other college in this state is to continue to produce future leaders, action must be taken to make college
affordable; all of our futures hinge on this.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding Normandale’s consultation process or anything else I
have mentioned in this letter. Thank you for your considerations.
Cordially,
Amanda Gomes Torres
Student Senate President
Normandale Community College
(952) 288-6403
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul MN 55101
Chair Reiner, Chancellor Rosenstone, and Trustees;
As requested by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board Policy 2.3), this letter will outline
the tuition consultation process that recently took place at Northland Community and Technical
College- East Grand Forks Campus.
Our senate met with NCTC Administration to consult on the budget on February 4th, 2015,
March 24th, 2015, and April 29th, 2015. These meetings were attended by President Anne Temte,
Chief of Finance Shannon Jesme, the senate’s executive board, and students.
Background was given on the consultation process, along with background materials that
provided all possible situations that are dependent on enrollment numbers and possible additional
funding provided by the system.
The Administration is not asking for any increase in tuition for students. The reasoning for not
raising tuition is due to the current tuition freeze.
The consultation regarding the budget was very vague. The Administration did not have any
concrete numbers to reflect accurately how the budget would be built. There was talk that some
services might be increased, but without accurate numbers, there is no clear path. Like our
administration, we are frustrated by the uncertainty surrounding Minnesota’s higher education
budget and its impacts it may have on students and the College.
The students support Northland’s Administration, and believe they are doing what is the best for
the students. We believe that the students are our future and we want them to be able to afford
higher education.
President Temte made herself available at any time for comments or questions. Questions that
were asked regarding the potential increase of some services were answered with a vague
response due to not having accurate numbers.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding Northland
Community and Technical College- East Grand Forks tuition consultation process.
Sincerely,
Michaela Current
Student Senate President
michaela_current@student.northlandcollege.edu
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
30 7th Street East
St. Paul, MN 55101
This letter is to review the tuition consultation process that took place at Northwest Technical
College (NTC).
The NTC Student Senate met with the VP of Finance and Administration, William Maki, and
Interim Dean Robert Griggs, on April 8 and April 22 as well as having correspondence through
email. Nursing Dean Jeanine Gangeness, and Nursing Faculty Ruth Landt, were also present at
the April 22 meeting to discuss fees in the nursing program.
There is a proposed fee increase within the nursing program of $65 to accommodate the
increased cost of testing software used by the students in that program. There are no other
proposed changes to fees or tuition at NTC.
This senate found the budget consultation process to be sufficiently informative. Spreadsheets
showing expected spending changes were provided, and all questions and concerns were
answered to our satisfaction.
If there are any questions or comments regarding the Northwest Technical College budget
consultation process feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Riley Pettit
NTC Student Senate President
Riley_Pettit@live.ntcmn.edu
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East 70th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Chancellor Rosenstone and Trustees:
As requested through MnSCU’s student consultation policy, this letter contains a summary of the budget
consultation that the Ridgewater Hutchinson campus received.
The Ridgewater Hutchinson Student Senate had our first budget consultation on November 27Th with
CFO Dan Holtz. This initial meeting helped the Hutchinson Senate gain a greater understanding about
the general fiscal process of the college. Dan Holtz shared with us information about the different
terminology that he used. He showed us what the college looked from past years and how we could use
that information for the upcoming year. He also answered any and all questions that were asked.
Our second meeting with Dan Holtz was on February 4th. This second meeting consisted of more specific
information on what the budget has looked like for the 2014-2015 fiscal year and what the budget will
look like for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. He exclaimed that if enrolment continues to decline, Ridgewater
would most likely have to raise tuition. He also told us that it was very difficult to predict what the
college will look like fiscal before the tuition freeze decision from legislation.
The Ridgewater Hutchinson Student Senate feels that we have had a decent experience with budget
consultation. Both the President and CFO have made it clear that they are willing to answer any
questions they we or the students have. They have listened to what we have said and will consider it
when making a decision.
Sincerely,
Grant Patterson, Student Senate President, Pattersongra@go.ridgewater.edu
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East 70th Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
Chancellor Rosenstone and Trustees:
As per MNSCU student consultation policy, this letter is a summary of the budget consultation that took
place at Ridgewater College, Willmar campus.
Our student senate scheduled meetings with CFO Dan Holtz to help us get a better understanding of
Ridgewater’s fiscal numbers. Our first meeting was schedule on December 3, 2014, where Mr. Holtz
presented an introduction of the fiscal budget by defining the terminology and explaining what those
terms meant in relationship to the budget. Our second meeting was schedule on February 6, 2015, where
Mr. Holtz presented an overview of the 2014-2015 fiscal year and the 2015-2016 preliminary fiscal budget.
Two key points that were brought up during the meetings were how low enrollment at Ridgewater College
has greatly affected the fiscal budget and the difficulty of projecting the budget with the uncertainty of
the tuition freeze due to legislation.
As a result of lower enrollment at Ridgewater College, our student senate was asked to reduce $115,000
from the Student Life budget. Following three meetings on March 17, March 26, and March 31 with
campus administration and faculty, we were able to meet the targeted goal at the cost of defunding the
campus choir and art gallery. While everyone was not happy with these reductions, we did feel it was in
the best interest of the college based off the information that was provided by the campus administration.
The Student Senate of Ridgewater College, Willmar campus, feels that we have had a fair experience with
the budget consultation process this year. President Allen and CFO Holtz have made themselves available
to us and encouraged us to participate in the budget process. If you have any questions or comments
regarding our budget consultation process, please, feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Andrew Fischer
Student Senate President
fischerand@go.ridgewater.edu
Riverland Community College
Owatonna Student Senate Office
965 Alexander Drive SW Owatonna,
MN 55060
May 6, 2015
M nSCU Board of Trustees Wells
Fargo Place
30th St. E., Suite 350
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804
RE: Tuition and Fees
Dear MnSCU Board of Trustees:
Brad Doss, Chief Financial Officer and Gary Schindler, Dean of Student Affairs, met with the
Owatonna Student Senate during the academic year on March 24, 2014. They presented information
on the FY2016 budget and shared a proposed plan for a FY2016 tuition freeze. In addition, a 57
cent increase in the Student Life fee was proposed. Finally, Gary Schindler presented information on
the need to charge differential tuition rates in the following areas: $10.00 for Electrical
Maintenance Technician, $20.00 for Machining, and $30.00 for Engl ish as a Second Language Academic, $2.50 for Agricultural Business, $10.00 for Agricultural Sciences, $10.00 for Food
Science Technology, and $20.00 for Medical Assistant/Phlebotomy courses.
We agreed with the Student Life fee increase, tuition freeze, and differential tuition rates that were
proposed. We understand that the State of Minnesota i s likely to see a tuition freeze based on our
state legislators' decisions.
Our student senate members feel that the information presented pertaining to the tuition and fees
was very informative. Our questions were answered and the information was detailed and
organized. Brad Doss and Gary Schindler have also made themselves accessible to further
inquiries that the Senate might have in the future regarding these issues.
Sincerely,
President -Owatonna Student Senate
April 29th, 2015
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
30 7th St. E., Suite 350 Wells Fargo Place
St. Paul, MN 55101-7804
Dear Chancellor Rosenstone and Trustees,
Pursuant to MnSCU’s policy 2.3 Student Involvement in Decision Making, please know that Saint Paul College has
completed tuition consultation for fiscal year 2015 satisfactorily.
Reasons being:
 Former Vice President of Finance and Operations, Shaan Hamilton, met with me in August of 2014 to schedule
tuition consultation meetings for fiscal year 2015. Interim CFO, John Palmer, met with the Student Senate on the
last three dates. These dates were:
o September 26th, 2014 (Executive Board of the Student Senate)
o October 8th, 2014 (General Assembly of the Student Senate)
o December 3rd, 2014 (General Assembly)
o February 18th, 2015 (General Assembly)
o April 29th, 2015 (General Assembly)
 Information presented included: the current budget of the college, unfunded obligations, future Higher
Education Asset Preservation and Replacement projects, enrollment outlook, state budget details, and the fiscal
2016 budget scenarios.
 Students had adequate time between consultations to discuss the budget.
 Due to the late legislative session, we have not been consulted on whether or not the Saint Paul College
administration will propose an increase in tuition.
Overall, we feel that our views were considered in the decision making process of the college’s plans and that the
consultation process was taken seriously by students and administration. Please feel free to contact me with questions
and/or concerns. Thank you.
Very Sincerely,
Anthony Sawyer
President, Saint Paul College Student Senate
senate@saintpaul.edu
T • 651.403.4084
F • 651.846.1703
cc:
Rassoul Dastmozd, PhD, President of Saint Paul College
John Palmer, Business Office Manager
Thomas Matos, Associate Vice President of Student Development & Services
Amanda Skorich, Director of Development, Minnesota State College Student Association
To:
Company:
Board of Trustees
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
500 Wells Fargo Place
30 East Seventh Street
St. Paul, MN 55101
From:
Date:
Subject:
Faribault Student Senate, South Central College
April 27th, 2015
Campus Budget Consultation Letter for Fiscal Year 15
Chancellor Rosenstone & Board of Trustees:
As requested by MnSCU’s student consultation policy (Board policy 2.3), this letter will outline the tuition consultation process that
recently took place at South Central College - Faribault Campus.
Our Student Senate met with administration to consult on the college budget on April 6th of 2015 and again on April 20th for
questions regarding the budget. This meeting was attended by the Vice President of Finance and Facilities Karen Snorek, the
Student Senate, student organization representatives and members of the student body. Mrs. Snorek presented South Central
College’s budget plan which includes two scenarios: one being a $95 million increase, and the other being $142 million increase in
funding to MnSCU. Reserves will be used if necessary and there will be no fee increases.
Dr. Parker, President of South Central College, met with us on September 2nd 2014 to give us updates on campus issues and she
reported that enrollment is down 4.5% for South Central which is about MNSCU system average. On December 1st, 2014 Dr.
Parker addressed the MnSCU legislative agenda and discussed the college’s budget and course offerings. Additionally, SCC’s
Leadership decided to suspend the community health worker program in Faribault as well as the engineering program, and will be
looking to spend reserves.
On February 17th Dr. Parker met with the Student Senate where she discussed MnSCU’s budget proposal again. Final state
appropriations were unknown and they are hoping for a tuition freeze. Creating a committee was an idea/plan to look at funding
scenarios to give stakeholder input.
Mrs. Snorek let the Senate know she was available for questions anytime as this consultation letter is due before the known
appropriations from the State Legislature and assured the Students of SCC that no matter the decision that SCC will continue a
freeze of tuition for the next year and will operate on reserves if needed.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding South Central College Faribault campus
tuition consultation process at Zachary.Lawson@my.southcentral.edu.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely with Gratitude,
Zachary Lawson
Student Senate President
To:
Chancellor Steven Rosenstone
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
From:
Lindsey Gunnerson
Student Government President
Date:
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Subject:
Consultation on University Budget, Tuition, and Fees
MnSCU Board Policy 2.3 calls for student involvement in decision-making when issues have a significant
impact on students, and Policy 5.11 calls for student consultation on all tuition and fees. This memo
outlines the consultation that the St. Cloud State University Student Government received regarding the
Tuition and Fees for Fiscal Year 2015-2016.
Although this year has been and is still filled with many unknowns, the University Administration has
remained in constant communication with the Student Association regarding the university budget,
tuition, fees, and differential tuition. Our University President and Vice President of Finance and
Administration have submitted themselves several times to the Senate for questions regarding the
future costs that will be placed on students at St. Cloud State University this next fiscal year. Most
recently, on April 30th, 2015, President Potter and Vice President McGee addressed the current financial
state of the institution and plans for budget reductions for next year, as well as emphasizing the
university’s support of the Governor’s request for $142 Million to provide a fully funded two year tuition
freeze. Additionally, it was noted that there are no changes in differential tuition. Although we are still
awaiting answers in regards to what tuition will look like, I am confident that the University
Administration will have students’ best interest in mind when setting tuition and fee rates.
Overall, the Student Association at St. Cloud State University is pleased with the level of consultation we
have received throughout the entire year regarding the university budget, tuition, and fees. The
university administration has been readily available and willing to answer all questions we have had
regarding fee structures. The Senate appreciated the opportunity to consult on these decisions and is
available to provide any additional information. Please feel free to contact me should you have any
further questions.
Cc:
Laura King, Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer
Earl H. Potter III, President
Wanda Overland, Vice President of Student Life and Development, Adviser
Tammy McGee, Vice President of Finance and Administration
May 27, 2015
Chancellor Steven Rosenstone
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
30 East Seventh Street, Suite 350
Saint Paul, MN 55101
Chancellor Rosenstone and Board of Trustees,
I am writing this letter pursuant to Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board policy 2.3,
which outlines student involvement in decision-making. The Winona State Student Senate
Summer Consultation team has been properly consulted regarding a revision to the previously
agreed upon tuition proposal by the Chief Financial Officer, Scott Ellinghuysen, for fiscal year
2016. Due to the Minnesota State Legislature inadequately funding MnSCU, a 3.5 percent tuition
increase was proposed.
After consultation with various members of Student Senate, we believe the potential dramatic
loss in services and staff proves too detrimental to the university, and therefore recommend a
3.5% increase. This recommendation, however, does not come without its reservations. We are
highly disappointed in the MN Legislature for its severe inability to fully support the next
generation of working citizens. We have continually witnessed the state do away with its promise
to fund 66% of higher education—and the responsibility of that payment has been pushed onto
students, year after year. As state’s surrounding Minnesota faced severe budget shortfalls, we
saw a budget surplus of almost 2 billion, however, higher education wasn’t given priority enough
to receive the full request. According to The Institute for College Access and Success, the average
amount of debt a student faces after graduating from a university is $30,894. The debt students
are facing isn’t a sustainable model for a successful nation in the future.
We hope higher education can again become a priority for the state of Minnesota. In addition,
we hope to see continued lobbying from the system office on behalf of tuition freezes and tuition
reductions. We at Winona State believe it is time for the state to begin contributing adequately to
prepare the next generation of citizens—and funding higher education is one way to ensure that
the next generation is prepared—without a mountain of debt to climb over. As student
government leaders on campus, it is our duty to express the concerns and advocate on behalf of
all students. As always, ensuring that higher education is affordable for all is a top priority for
Winona State University Student Senate.
Best,
Joshua Hanson
Winona State Student Senate | President
(715) 896-4864
April 15, 2015
Chancellor Steven Rosenstone
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
30 East Seventh Street, Suite 350
Saint Paul, MN 55101
Chancellor Rosenstone & Board of Trustees,
I am writing this letter today as requested under MnSCU Board Policy 2.3, student
involvement in decision-making. The Winona State University Student Senate (WSUSS)
has been properly consulted on Tuition by the Chief Fiscal Officer, who gave a
presentation detailing the current state of the budget and prepared the body with the
different scenarios that could result from the decisions that will be made in our state
legislature later this spring.
At our March 18th WSUSS meeting, the body approved a recommendation from the
Student Fee Management Committee for a 0% increase to Tuition for the 2016 fiscal
year. As representatives of the students, we are hopeful that a fully funded tuition
freeze will be a product of this legislative session. Ensuring that college is affordable for
all Minnesota students is our number one priority.
Sincerely,
Jessica Hepinstall
President, Winona State Student Senate