FROZEN
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2014 | Volume 210 | Number 68 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890.
8 4 6 , 6 $
$6,648 $6,678
Board of Regents approves a third consecutive tuition freeze
By Danielle.Ferguson @iowastatedaily.com
A
historic attempt to hinder the growth of student debt may have sparked both excitement and fear. The Iowa Board of Regents unanimously approved a third consecutive tuition freeze for resident undergraduates at Wednesday’s meeting. The decision also included a 1.75 percent increase in tuition for nonresident undergraduates. Lawmakers must decide whether to include the requested 4.1 percent increase from the state for tuition rates to be official. “We are confident that the board initiatives approved this year - the TIER efficiency study and the performancebased funding model - will allow the universities to direct additional resources to our students rather than asking our students to pay more,” said Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter. While some regents have said the move is essential in combating increasing student debt, other regents and student university leaders have expressed concern the freeze would have for future economic circumstances. The board had originally planned on increasing in-state undergraduate tuition by 1.75 percent and out-of-state tuition by 1.2 percent at the October board meeting. But Regent Larry McKibben sparked a discussion
Illustration: Eric Fields/Iowa State Daily
Illustration: Richard Martinez/Iowa State Daily
about the rising levels of student debt, and two additional regents expressed that they, too, would support a third tuition freeze. “The debt at sixth in the nation is a social and economic negative for our state,” McKibben said at that October meeting. “[It is important for] students to graduate without having a tremendous amount of debt, to be able to get married, have a family and maybe make a first down payment on a house, and stay in Iowa.” McKibben repeated his concerns about increasing debt and students’ futures at the December meeting. Though the board was unanimous in approving the freeze during discussion, Regent Robert Downer said the freeze wouldn’t affect each public university equally, mentioning University of Northern Iowa’s high percentage of in-state students. With 92 percent of UNI students paying instate tuition, a freeze could cause Northern Iowa to lose $1.4 million in revenue. Downer also mentioned the University of California’s decision to raise tuition by 5 percent for the next five years after a three-year tuition freeze. “I believe the public interest is better served by gradual increases roughly reflecting inflation, a factor that is present in all of our lives,” Downer said. Rastetter said he understood Northern Iowa’s situation, but defended the freeze with the recently approved performancebased funding model, saying the model is designed to help all three universities. “This board knows and understands the reason we voted for performance funding is that equitable financing and funding of our public universities,” Rastetter said. “Our legislative request is going to be a little over 4.1 percent of significant new dollars to make sure all three universities are well funded.” UNI student body president Kevin Gartman voiced support for a tuition freeze at an earlier meeting, saying students would support a modest increase for the university. “They support the increase because they understand, that without it, [Northern Iowa] faces even greater funding challenges, which can negatively impact the quality of the education the university is able to provide,” Gartman said at the October meeting. Northern Iowa isn’t the only school to express concern with the tuition freeze. ISU Government of Student Body President Hillary Kletscher also said she has heard student feedback in support of a modest increase to prevent a later hike in tuition. “I heard feedback from students [who] were willing to burden
TUITION p8
Leadership minor gives students a chance to stand out By Kelly.Schiro @iowastatedaily.com Completing classes in leadership could help push a resume to the top of a potential employers’ stack. Iowa State is now offering a minor in Leadership Studies. The program requires 15 credit hours rather than the normal 21 credit hours. Students who choose to pursue the minor can also earn a leadership certificate to go along with the degree. “We involve a lot of business and community leaders in our program,” said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center. “We started hear-
ing from them that Iowa State needed to do more in the area of leadership education.” After hearing from leaders in the community, the Catt Center started putting together a program for leadership studies. The minor was created in response to requests from students. “The Leadership Studies minor gives students an opportunity to have more accessible credential and strong name recognition with the minor in Leadership Studies,” said Clinton Stephens, lecturer and coordinator of Leadership Studies program. Alex Salmon graduated from Iowa State in December 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, as well as a leadership certificate. His advisor thought
Iowa State Daily
Clinton M. Stephens, scholar-in-residence for leadership education, talks about his family and friends during the event “What Matters To Me and Why?” on Nov. 29, 2012, in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.
that it would help him to improve his public speaking skills and dealing with individuals on a daily basis. “It teaches you about leadership. Not necessarily about how to talk, but how to be a good leader, how to listen, how to feel, understand individuals get where they’re coming from,” Salmon said. Salmon, who works in Des Moines for Nationwide Insur-
ance’s security team, said the leadership certificate prepared him for the interview process by helping identify his strengths and weaknesses. “We find that when students go out for interviews that they are really much more articulate about their leadership capacity and how they show up as leaders in interviewing,” Stephens said,
LEADERSHIP p8
Jessica Darland/Iowa State Daily
Sen. Khayree Fitten motions to override President Hillary Kletscher’s veto on the election timeline.
GSB talks election specifics By Makayla.Tendall @iowastatedaily.com At the last senate meeting of the semester, the Government of the Student Body discussed upcoming elections, specifically the election code and President Hillary Kletscher’s veto of a bill. Alex Rodgers, GSB election commissioner, proposed changes to the Election Code that provides candidates for positions during the 2015-16 academic year with guidelines for their election season, which begins in January. Rodgers and the election commission proposed an expenditure cap of $1,250, so candidates may not spend any amount over the cap, which the senate later shot down. Sen. Erick Dietz proposed to amend the bill to take the cap off so candidates could spend however much money they wanted on elections. The amendment was passed as Dietz said he didn’t think it was appropriate to put a cap on elections because it is each candidate’s personal decision. Rodgers and senators in favor of the cap said the cap would give all candidates a fair chance at campaigning and fundraising so candidates didn’t “buy” positions. However, others felt that a cap would be a restriction on free speech because it would limit the tools candidates could use to campaign. They said the argument that the more posters, advertisements or demonstrations a candidate can fund with their own money doesn’t mean the candidate will be popular enough with students to win the election. Through this reasoning, many said if students wanted to spend thousands of dollars of their own money, “more power to them” because it still wouldn’t guarantee a position. “I don’t think we can tell people you can’t spend money because these people don’t have money,” said Sen. Abbie Lang. Lang said though her parents may be wealthy, it doesn’t mean her parents would fund thousands of dollars for her campaign. Therefore, if she wanted to campaign, she would be in the same position as students who did not come from a position of wealth. “The fact that we are a state university shows that we accept everyone, wealthy and unwealthy,” said Sen. Peter Benzoni. “We’re not Harvard. We don’t have hundreds of students with huge wallets lining up and running for every position, but we have students who are passionate about that.” Other discussion centered on a Kletcher’s veto of a bill on the Election Timeline, which was vetoed past the six-day period during which bylaws state the executive branch can veto a bill. Kletcher vetoed the bill because bylaws state that the election commissioner has the power to set the election timeline and senate approval is not needed. Sen. Khayree Fitten moved to override Kletcher’s veto —which later failed — citing the bylaw that details the six-day period to veto a bill. The bill was passed, Fitten said, the six-day period and the bylaw doesn’t say six business days. Speaker of the Senate Gabe Walsh said the bylaw interpretation is not so black and white and that the six-day period is designed to give the president ample time to talk with constituents. Since the bill was passed before Thanksgiving Break, there was not time to talk with students. However, senators said the bylaws would state six business days, or more clarification of the six-day period. GSB will resume meetings next semester.