The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh
PA TUITION THIRD HIGHEST IN COUNTRY
Online: Pitt announces Sexual Assault Awareness Month November 5, 2015 | Issue 57 | Volume 106
Dale Shoemaker News Editor
Over the summer, Pitt boasted its lowest tuition increase in 40 years. But even with the raise to keep up with inflation, Pitt, along with 17 other Pennsylvania universities, has caused the state to come in third for highest tuition at its public universities. On Tuesday, the College Board released new data showing Pennsylvania public universities are the third-most expensive in the country, following only Vermont and New Hampshire. While former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett cut Pitt’s funding to 1990s levels as a result of the 2009 recession, current Gov. Tom Wolf still has not passed a budget that he said could restore a majority of Pitt’s state money. Despite the rankings for being expensive, Pitt has also topped Kiplinger’s Personal Finance rankings for best value for 10 straight years — which University officials continuously reference to soften students’ financial burden. The U.S. Department of Education has ranked both Pitt and Penn State University as the two most expensive public schools in the country for several years. According to the College Board data, both Pitt and Penn State exceed Pennsylvania’s average tuition of $13,395 for the 201516 school year, compared to Pitt’s price of $18,192 and Penn State’s $17, 502 for one year’s tuition and fees. New Hampshire and Vermont passed
CHAARG fitness group members get pumped with kickboxing Wednesday night in the Union. Kate Koenig | Staff Photographer
STUDENTS HOLD ACTION FORUM Zoë Hannah Staff Writer
Students still frustrated with the University’s strategic plan aired their concerns on Wednesday — this time, sans administrators. Members of the Pittsburgh Student Solidarity Coalition, or PSSC, said the University has adequately addressed concerns they raised at the open student forums on Oct. 7, and Oct. 15. In response, PSSC hosted its own student action forum 8 p.m. Wednesday in the William Pitt Ballroom. Without Pitt administrators, 35 students addressed issues such as sexual assault on campus and administrative transparency. Raghav Sharma, president of Students See Tuition on page 3
for Justice in Palestine, helped organize the student action forum. He said he could feel the “energy about to burst forth on this campus this year.” “This is exciting, especially considering that this is our base off of which we’re going to grow,” Sharma said. The Pitt Plan is a strategic guide for the University that addresses five key goals for the University over the next five years: advancing educational excellence, engaging in research of impact, strengthening communities, building foundational strengths and embracing diversity and inclusion. The Board of Trustees approved the plan last Friday during a board meeting at Pitt’s Greensburg campus.
Sharma, a junior politics and philosophy major, said he felt the student action forum was necessary because the administration was incapable of answering “the many, many questions” that students had during the first two forums. “They basically ignored everything we said,” Sharma said. The coalition did not invite administrators to the student action forum, though Sharma said they were welcome to come. Though he was not available for comment after the forum, Kenyon Bonner, vice provost and interim dean of students, said earlier Wednesday he has put the students’ comments to use. Bonner said he gleaned a See Forum on page 2