Following its eight-hour conference call Friday, the Board of Trustees did not reach a final decision regarding the anticipated increase in tuition costs, College President Jim Yong Kim said in an interview with The Dartmouth. The Board will determine the cost of tuition and room and board at the College by the end of February, according to Kim.
Although there will "definitely" be an increase in tuition costs, Board members hope to examine the price of higher education over time, as well as possible returns on investments in a Dartmouth education, before making a decision, according to Kim.
"We came out of the Board meeting wanting to look at a few other factors, a few other aspects of both tuition and financial aid," Kim said.
Throughout February, administrators will continue to decide costs of tuition and room and board, as well as financial aid packages, which will be approved by the Board by the end of February, Kim said.
The increase is expected to be similar to that in recent years, according to Kim. When finalizing their decisions, administrators and trustees will take into account the need to "close our budget gap over the next two years," while remaining conscious of the affordability of attendance, Kim said.
"We want to be sure that the cost of going here wouldn't cause anyone to drop out or wouldn't cause anyone not to come," he said.
Last year, the College announced a 4.6-percent increase in undergraduate tuition and fees, according to the College's Fact Book. Tuition and fees increased by 4.8 percent for the 2009-2010 academic year and 4.9 percent for the 2008-2009 academic year.
The Board originally scheduled to hold its termly meeting on campus on Feb. 4 and 5 instead met by phone due to unsafe weather conditions predicted for the weekend.
"From my perspective, the problem is it's really hard to interact the same way when you're on the phone," Kim said. "On the other hand, in terms of providing information, providing some feedback, it worked better than we expected."
In addition to the impending increases in the cost of attendance, the Board discussed budget reduction strategies and ongoing construction projects such as the Class of 1953 Commons and Visual Arts Center, according to Kim.
Due to its decision to speak via conference call, the Board postponed a series of meetings with students that were meant to explore the role of the Greek system in campus life, Kim said.
These student meetings, originally scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday, are now expected to occur during the next trustee meeting in April, according to Kim.
Among the events postponed were a lunch conference with leaders of Greek organizations and a breakfast meeting with the advisors of various houses, planned at the request of Board members, Chief of Staff David Spalding said in an interview with The Dartmouth. The Board also postponed a student panel "about the out-of-classroom experience" that was set to take place Saturday, he said.
Kim said postponing the student meetings with Board members will not affect the implementation of campus alcohol initiatives.
"The Board's role is to think big picture about where we're going," he said. "Their role is really not to help us manage efforts like the Green Team or to get involved in management decisions at that kind of level."
Interacting with both affiliated and unaffiliated students will allow trustees to consider the nature of Greek life on campus and nationwide, as well as to "give strategic-level input," Kim said.
Members of the Board decided against conducting conference calls with students because the communication method restricts "back-and-forth" dialogue and adequate expression of reactions, according to Kim.
The Board's individual committee meetings were also conducted remotely, which was made easier by the "clear and focused" subject matter addressed by each committee, Kim said.
The Student Affairs Committee, for example, conducted a discussion about possible improvements in residential life, which included a presentation by acting Dean of the College Sylvia Spears, according to Kim.
