I extend a warm welcome to our new students, returning students, faculty, and staff and wish all of you a great start to the 2009-2010 academic year. I am writing today to communicate directly with you about an important issue.

Earlier this month, the Ohio University Board of Trustees approved a tuition and fees increase for undergraduate students on the Athens campus for the Winter and Spring quarters of 2009-10.  In taking this action, the Board provided flexibility to the University administration to determine whether to apply the increase to both tuition and fees or just to tuition. The Board provided this flexibility with the parameter that the total increase must not exceed 3.5% of total tuition and fees on an annual basis. Calculating an annual increase for just the Winter and Spring quarters results in a total increase for 2009-10 of 2.33% over the total undergraduate tuition and fees in 2008-09.

The distinct purposes for which tuition and fees are used guided my decision making. Tuition revenues go into the General Education Fund, supporting academic programs and activities.  General Fee revenues support student programs, engagement and learning activities outside the classroom. Another important factor I considered was the catalyst for the State's decision to lift the tuition and fee cap. Governor Strickland and the General Assembly raised the cap to 3.5% for 2009-10 to allow the flexibility to offset the reduction in State Share of Instruction to Ohio University from the original projections in the Governor's budget, and to help students negatively impacted by changes in the state-funded Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG). The Ohio College Opportunity Grant provides need-based tuition assistance to Ohio students from low to moderate-income families.

After reviewing this information, I decided to apply the Board-approved increase solely to tuition to support the General Education Fund. Further, the University will utilize approximately $550,000 of these revenues to provide support to students who were negatively impacted by the changes in the OCOG program.  These students will receive University support in the amount of the total $208 tuition increase for 2009-10 Winter and Spring quarters and $66 for the increase in the technology fee for the 2009-10 academic year. In Summer 2009, the University provided $202,000 additional University support to students negatively impacted by the changes in the OCOG program, bringing total University support for these students to $752,000 in 2009-10.

I also want to clearly communicate that there will be no tuition and fee increase in 2009-10 for students at our regional campuses nor is there an increase in graduate student tuition this year.

Again, I wish you all the best at the beginning of this academic year and encourage you to contact my Chief of Staff at wattsr@ohio.edu if you have questions, concerns, or wish to share ideas.

Cordially,

Roderick J. McDavis
President