Kat Simonelli
Editor in Chief
The Associated Students of the University of La Verne unanimously passed a resolution Monday condemning the proposed tuition increase for the 2015-16 school year.
“Obviously we understand sometimes maybe we need a tuition increase, but we also know the reasoning on the students’ ends,” ASULV President David Asbra said.
“Scholarships don’t really go up as much, half the students here are eligible for Pell Grants, a lot of students receive Cal Grants,” Asbra said. “With all that obviously students here are in need and with the increased tuition, it’s really kind of hurting them if they’re not getting anything else.”
This was the second resolution that ASULV has passed in regard to the tuition increase and the administration.
Last April it passed a resolution in which it called for “a public hearing prior to future decisions involving potential tuition increase.”
It proposed having a member of ASULV sit in on Board of Trustees meetings and vote on issues and create a more public forum.
The administration agreed to include students in the conversation about tuition earlier in the planning process after the first resolution was passed.
At the beginning of this year, administrators announced that they had come to an agreement on a 4.9 percent tuition increase for the 2015-16 academic year, and ASULV was not included in that conversation.
In the new resolution ASULV states: “The University of La Verne Board of Trustees failed to recognize the pleas made by the Associated Students for increased transparency and enhanced communication in the form of public hearings in which students would be provided an opportunity to express their concerns and ask questions before the Board.”
The new resolution also states that the success of the University should not be measured by selectivity, graduation rates and test scores.
It states that students should be able to further their education without having to worry about withdrawing from the University because of financial complications.
The resolution also declares that ASULV plans to continue to advocate for a more affordable higher education for La Verne students.
“It’s a statement that we’re making, not just to the administration but also to students to let them know that we’re on their side and we’ll keep fighting for them,” ASULV Vice President of Finance Anthony Reyes said.
The administration acknowledged the breakdown in communication with students and indicated an interest in mending the relationship.
“Currently the president’s cabinet and the provost are working to determine a better process regarding tuition increases, which would include having more meetings with associated student body leaders (and the group as a whole) to discuss future plans,” University spokeswoman Alisha Rosas said in an emailed statement.
“While administration did meet with our associated student body leaders in the fall, there should have been another meeting before the proposed increase was sent to the Board for approval,” Rosas said.
Kat Simonelli can be reached at kathryn.simonelli@laverne.edu and on Twitter @KatSimonelli.
