SHEPHERDSTOWN – Room fees in all campus housing would rise an average 2.19 percent next year, according to a spending proposal presented to the budget advisory council by Jack Shaw, assistant vice president of auxiliary enterprises at Shepherd University.
The projections go into further detail, stating that the 2.19 percent average includes a 7.2 percent increase in fees for all air-conditioned housing on west campus, a 4.9 percent increase to Miller Hall and Westwood Suites and a 4.65 percent increase to the apartments.
“Based on year prior occupancy, the increases will produce $131,000 in increased revenue, which will be needed to offset anticipated utilities increases, student staffing costs related to tuition and other consumer price index driven increases,” states Shaw’s plan.
Shaw’s projections also include a proposal from Residence Life to reduce the fees for non-air conditioned housing on East campus by 7.98 percent. The document states that the new “value pricing” is expected to increase occupancy overall.
At the Jan. 27 meeting of Student Government Association, the executive board proposed that one benefit of cheaper housing on East campus may be a decrease in segregation between freshmen, who traditionally live on East campus and upperclassmen, who traditionally live on the West side.
Another section of Shaw’s projections states that Dining Services proposes an average 1.97 percent increase in meal plan fees to cover the cost of food from this year. The proposal states that the increases will make dining services “a strong supporter of the University’s mission and particularly the university’s effort toward recruitment and retention.”
Student Government plans to discuss the university budget in future meetings as it is developed.
Student Government meetings are held on Tuesdays at 5 P.M. on the third floor of the Student Center.
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