The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees has approved a 3 percent

increase for in-state undergraduate fees. Beginning with the 1996-97 school

year, in-state undergraduates will pay $1,941.

Also approved at the Board meeting Thursday were additional fee increases.

In-state law and graduate students will see 7 percent and 5 percent

increases, respectively. Out-of-state increases ranged from a 5 percent

rise for undergraduates and graduates to 10 percent for veterinary

students. Out-of-state graduate nursing students can expect a 5 percent

increase and law students will see an 8 percent increase in the fall.

“We are still, in terms of peer institutions, on the low end of cost. That

is where we want to stay. It is what you get for the dollars. Three percent

is a fair tradeoff for the education we receive,” said Jason Little,

president of the Student Government Association.

Suzanne Schaeffer, student member of the Board of Trustees, was not present

at the meeting.

The fee increase was approved upon the recommendation of the Board’s

Finance Committee. It comes on the heels of recent budgetary problems at

the university and is meant to cover the gaps in funding caused by reduced

funds from governmental sources for the new fiscal year.

Although students will come back this fall to higher fees, more scholarship

money has been made available by increases in development resources and

alumni giving. The 21st Century scholarship campaign has exceeded original

projected donations of $250 million. Alumni donations topped last year’s

record of $11.4 million; this year, more than $13 million has been given to

the university by alumni, said Jeannie Hastings, president of UT’s National

Alumni Association. UT’s endowment of $385 million is ranked 13th in the

nation, Johnson said.

Academic program

cuts

In other matters, the Board approved the elimination of seven academic

programs at the Knoxville campus. Programs to be terminated include the

Master of Science degrees with majors in human ecology, food service and

lodging administration, and interior design. Also eliminated are the Doctor

of Education programs in health education and human resource development,

and the Educational Specialist programs in vocation education and service,

and safety education and service.

“We are trying to keep the programs we offer current and relevant to the

needs of those we serve. Therefore, we eliminate programs as they become

not current or obsolete,” said Homer Fisher, senior vice president of the

Board. Many of the programs eliminated had low enrollment. Other programs

will work better in conjunction with other degree programs, Fisher

said.

“We’ve taken the assessment of our inventory very seriously in the past 10

years. Lots of other institutions are not doing as well because they have

been unwilling to do what UT has been doing for the last decade,” said

Bryant Millsaps, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education

Commission.

By eliminating certain programs, colleges will be able to put their dollars

and resources to better use, Millsaps said.

Revisions in

graduation requirements

Also approved by the Board were revisions in the graduation requirements

for College of Architecture students. Students will now be required to

complete 171 hours of courses, rather than the current 158. Included in the

additional 13 hours are nine hours of electives and four hours of freehand

drawing courses.

“Our curriculum was less rigorous than other (universities) in terms of its

demands for completion of courses. The accreditation team which visited the

college strongly suggested an increase in hours and more selectivity in

courses — more electives,” said Fisher.

The changes in the architecture curriculum are supported by students and

faculty, said Dean Marleen Davis. Davis emphasized that the additional

course work will not increase the time required for students to obtain

their degrees.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees is scheduled for Oct. 25 in

Knoxville.