The Red and Black

Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: News

ADAMS

University President Michael Adams thinks tuition should be raised to maintain the University's quality, one of his top aides said.

"The money coming in has not kept pace with the cost of operations," said Matt Winston, assistant to the president.

The University charged in-state students $4,628 and out-of-state students $16,848 for the 2005-2006 school year, according to a chart released by the Southern Regional Education Board.

While the University's tuition rates are comparable to other Southern institutions, the state of Georgia charged the least for in-state tuition out of 16 states ranked by the Southern Regional Education Board.

Georgia's state average in-state tuition and fees cost $3,044, the Southern Regional Education Board reported. The average cost of in-state tuition and fees for the 16 schools was $4,545.33.

"He (Adams) doesn't want us to be at the top of the list," Winston said. "He said he thinks we need to be somewhere in the middle of the list."

Winston said Adams wants the University to have enough money to offer professors salaries similar to what other schools are offering.

The University is having "a hard time paying salaries to be competitive," said Tom Jackson, vice president for public affairs.

Data from the Southern Regional Education Board's list show the University is paying professors less than other Southern schools.

During the 2005-2006 school year, the University paid nine-month professors an average salary of $96,124 and 12-month professors $109,143.

Georgia State University, Georgia Tech, the University of Florida, the University of North Carolina at Chapel

Hill and the University of Virginia all offered both nine-month and 12-month professors more money.

Winston said Adams has thought about increasing funds by acquiring more donations and raising tuition.

But the Board of Regents, the group that sets the University's tuition rates, is trying to keep the costs down, said John Millsaps, the board's associate vice chancellor for media and publication.

Millsaps said Georgia's colleges and universities have "historically low" tuition rates, and the system is able to handle low prices due to efficiency.

He said Board of Regents' Chancellor Erroll Davis has talked about generating funds with state money, research grants, private donors and efficiency.

"We want to preserve the quality of instruction, but we also want to do all we can to provide an affordable education," Millsaps said.

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