MARQUETTE, Mich.—The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees today approved a 2013-14 tuition and fees schedule. The annual cost for full-time resident undergraduates will be $9,094, an increase of $328—or 3.75 percent—from last year’s rate of $8,766. NMU maintains its longtime rank as having the second-lowest tuition and fees among Michigan’s public universities.

            “We’re also going to make a big adjustment to financial aid, increasing that by 6.6 percent, or nearly $1 million,” said Gavin Leach, vice president for finance and administration. “That offsets about a third of the tuition increase.”

NMU remains within the tuition restraint level required to secure the full 2.1 percent state appropriations increase per the performance funding formula in the higher education bill approved in June. The full tuition and fees schedule is available at www.nmu.edu/tuition.

“This university has been a great steward of resources the state has put in it,” said Trustee Steven Mitchell. “We should be proud. Yes, it’s a tough call, but we’re still the second-lowest priced university in Michigan. And we’re able to do that and still provide a superb education for the students. As much as I don’t like to do it, I firmly believe it’s a decision we have to and should make. I applaud every person associated with this university for making these numbers work. I feel badly, but we have to continue to provide a quality education. It will be hard for some, but I feel they are getting good return on their investment.”

The board also approved an executive committee recommendation to increase President David Haynes’ base salary of nearly $202,000 by 2.3 percent for the current fiscal year. Haynes said he plans to donate the increase back to the university as a charitable contribution.

“We were prepared to recommend an increase that would be more competitive, but David interrupted and asked that if we did raise his salary, the percentage wouldn’t be greater than what other staff received,” said Rick Popp, chair of the executive committee. “David hit the ground running in this position and has been running ever since. He’s not only lived up to expectations, but exceeded them in many areas. There’s still some work to do. This acknowledges what he’s done, but in comparing presidential compensation among peer institutions, he’s not among the higher paid.”

Presidential goals approved for 2013-14 focus on the following areas: enrollment/retention, branding/marketing/identity/presence, financial management, endowment, experience and excellence (of processes), academic excellence and athletic excellence.

In other action at today’s meeting, the board:

▪Agreed that the $75 per semester nursing program fee also apply to all students in the reactivated practical nursing program. The fee covers supplies, equipment, simulators and lab kits.

▪Approved an academic departmental name change: political science and public administration is now simply political science.

▪Authorized a reorganization that revolves around the position of vice president for enrollment and student services, which has been posted and for which a search is underway. The following offices will report directly to the person appointed to fill the post: admissions, financial aid, international programs, academic career advisement center, dean of students, counseling and consultation services, registrar, director of housing and residence life and the director of the center for student enrichment.

▪Accepted $7,300 in external gifts.

▪Granted Sandra Poindexter professor emeritus of business status, effective Aug. 1.

▪Appointed the following board members to the university’s public school academies for terms expiring June 30, 2016, unless otherwise noted: Isaac McKechnic and Norma Castro, Bahweting Public School Academy; Constance Roberts and Pricilla Kidd, Burton Glen Charter School Academy; Rodney Frye (June 30, 2014), Rodney Lovell and Stephanie Philemon, Nah Tah Wahsh Charter School Academy; Constance Joffee, Patricia Martin and Lorana Jinkerson, North Star Academy; Kimberly Champion and Gordon May, Walton Academy; and Lilian Roa (June 30, 2015), Experiencia Preparatory Academy.  

▪Received closed-session legal guidance from university counsel on current policies related to presidential searches, which the university has begun the process of undertaking. The board had approved a three-year presidential employment agreement for David Haynes in July 2012. It was stated then that Haynes would serve the first two years as interim president and split the third year between assisting with special projects and/or consulting NMU’s new president, assuming a successful nationwide search, and taking sabbatical leave in preparation for his return to the faculty.