The Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees approved a 3 percent tuition increase for the 2024-2025 academic year by the Grand Rapids Community College Board of Trustees during their March 18 meeting.
This is the third year in a row that the college has approved a tuition increase. Just over the last two years, the price per credit hour has increased from $118 in 2022 to the new $124 per contact rate, which is a 5.08% increase.
Vice President for Finance and Administration Lisa Freiburger explained that the tuition increase is necessary to adjust to the ongoing inflation of goods and services that are needed to properly run the college as well as increase the services provided to students.
“We’re working very hard to keep tuition increases just as minimal as possible. We realize an increase is an increase for our students,” explained Freiburger when asked about the increase. “So we’re very cognizant of that and really continue to try to balance our costs and needs of the institution so that we can make sure we’re providing the students with the services that they need while keeping their tuition as low as possible.”
When asked by former Chairperson David Koetje if this 3 percent increase will allow more programming to GRCC or just allow them to cover costs, Freiburger explained it would allow them to expand their services as well as maintain the cost of ongoing programs.
“Both I would say is the answer to that question. We’ve brought to you both in November and in February some requests for increases as we work to continue to meet student needs,” Freiburger said during the meeting. “An example of that would be the counselor position that we requested your approval of in February as part of our midyear budget. We realize student mental health is a huge need on our campus for our students and we are working to analyze all of that. So there will be some increased costs associated with the tuition as we work to continue to meet student needs and we are also recognizing the fact that costs across the board are going up”
The board also approved the proposal recommended by GRCC’s Student Government to equalize the Campus Activities Fee to $10 for both full-time and part-time students. Previously this fee was only $5 for part-time students. Student Government President Alex Miranda and his team, who were not at Monday’s board meeting, previously mentioned that they had proposed this adjustment to better aid student groups and that part-time students get full access to these events but only pay half the fee.
Miranda could not be reached for comment.
In other news, Faculty Association President Frank Conner used his last opportunity to update as an employee of GRCC asking the board where the representation for academics is during board meetings.
“The core reason we exist doesn’t have equal membership in the board’s community of practice,” said Conner during the meeting.
These meetings are open for any members of the public to attend and attendees are given two opportunities during each meeting to address to the board, both after the agenda is approved and before the meeting is adjourned. These opportunities are often not used.
“People make meaning-making through their implicit relationships,” Conner said. “So you have a community that you understand the world through interacting with them, talking with them, and solving problems with them. And so my argument or my presentation, my observation in coming to eight years of meetings is that finances are always talking. Foundation is always talking, Industry grants are always talking. And those are all important, but those are all finances. Finance is not our business. We’re not a bank.”
When asked who would represent the academics, Conner stated it would be the provost. Interim Provost Sheila Jones wasn’t in attendance at the meeting. She is one of three finalists for the provost position named by GRCC who were expected to present on campus on separate days, from March 19-21.
In other updates, Interim Vice President of College Advancement and Executive Director of the GRCC Foundation Erin Van Egmond presented the GRCC Foundation’s quarterly report and their accomplishments since October.
Egmond explained that they had raised $149,000 during their Scholarfest event in October, $200,000 was raised during GRCC’s GIANT Awards, and they have allocated just over $1 million to 1,300 students over the 2023-2024 academic year. Egmond hopes to use any remaining funds to help students over the 2024 summer semester.
GRCC is one of many schools that has not received updated Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data, which is causing a delay in scholarships that require financial information to be awarded to students. Egmond explained that she and her team have been preparing for this scenario.
“In preparation, we have determined which scholarships do not require (financial) need and will award those first,” Egmond explained. “Once we begin receiving that FAFSA data, we can start awarding scholarships with need and do a comparison of the awards already made to ensure a student is receiving the highest dollar scholarship they are eligible for.”
GRCC President Charles Lepper addressed the ongoing boil water advisory that is affecting parts of Grand Rapids, including GRCC, during his update. Lepper asks that all employees and students bring their own water to campus.
“We are expecting this to last until Wednesday at the earliest,” Lepper said. “We sent a Rave message to all of our employees and also all of our students encouraging them to bring their own water to campus. We are providing water to places like the Early Childhood Learning Lab so we have fresh water there to make sure that our littles are well taken care of.”
He later reminded the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) will visit campus on Monday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 26 to conduct an on-site comprehensive evaluation.
Here are the purchase items approved by the board in their meeting:
- A purchase order of $64,233.62 to provide payment for replacement equipment due to life cycle.
- A purchase order of $45,000 to provide payment for conceptual design for SCC, Ramp A, Ransom Avenue NE and Bostwick Avenue NE.
- A purchase order of $30,368 is to provide payment for the Amatrol air conditioning/heat pump troubleshooting learning system.
- A purchase order of $68,180 to provide payment for FARGO printers.
- A purchase order of $38,675 to provide payment for the Strategic Leaders Program for four people.
- A purchase order of $39,067.14 to provide payment for the coordinator at Muskegon Community College for One Workforce.
- A purchase order of $34,175.04 to provide payment for Fall 2023 tuition and books for
students in the Water Technology Program.
- Three purchase orders of $32,125, $25,500 and $27,750 to provide payment for Michigan New Jobs – Custom on-site training.
- Purchase order of $105,000 to provide digital advertising– display, SEM, paid social ads, etc.
- A purchase order of $572,539.8 to provide implementation for a new LMS system for FY2025 annual fees.
- A purchase order of $125,570 to provide an implementation for a non-credit enrollment system for year one FY2025 fees.
The board will meet again for a work session on April 17, a budget work session on May 6 and will hold their next regular meeting on May 20.
