UNIVERSITY NEWS Board of Trustees approves 2.98% tuition, fee increase for 2023-24

[SpaceRaider]

MTSU Board of Trustees approves 2.98% tuition, fee increase for 2023-24

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Middle Tennessee State University Board of Trustees voted Tuesday, June 20, to raise tuition and fees by 2.98% for the Fall 2023 semester, the institution’s first such increase in two years. The increase, recommended by the board’s Finance and Personnel Committee, was...

www.wgnsradio.com

 

[MidTennMtneer]

New Liberal Arts building plan. Nice. Had the groundbreaking for the new Engineering building yesterday I think.

Murphy Center and athletics was mentioned. I'm sure the school itself pays for part of Murphy, not just athletics since it is used for graduations, TSAA, etc. I do wonder if the athletic fee will rise. Currently $240 per student/semester.

 

[SpaceRaider]

New Liberal Arts building plan. Nice. Had the groundbreaking for the new Engineering building yesterday I think.

Breaking Ground: New $78.4-million Applied Engineering Building at MTSU

MURFREESBORO, TN - Middle Tennessee State University held their groundbreaking event for their new Applied Engineering Building on Tuesday morning. Scheduled to open in the summer or fall of 2025, the soon-to-be-built structure will be nearly 90,000-square-feet in size at an investment of $78.4...

www.wgnsradio.com

 

[ewglenn]

Someone help me understand, what is applied engineering? How is that different from regular engineering? It is a really nice building though.

 

[MT01]

Someone help me understand, what is applied engineering? How is that different from regular engineering? It is a really nice building though.

It’s kind of like the difference in career tracks between going into the STEM program vs going to vocational school. Will let you figure out for yourself which one our illustrious administration has pulled off.

 

[ewglenn]

It’s kind of like the difference in career tracks between going into the STEM program vs going to vocational school. Will let you figure out for yourself which one our illustrious administration has pulled off.

That’s kind of what I gathered researching it. Do you think this is a gateway drug to a full blown engineering program?

 

[MT01]

No

 

[MTLynn]

 

[crposton]

It’s kind of like the difference in career tracks between going into the STEM program vs going to vocational school. Will let you figure out for yourself which one our illustrious administration has pulled off.

Applied engineering is STEM. Applied Economics vs Economics is just learning to apply theory vs more or less research. There is a market for applied engineering and I think it is good we created a program that is actually needed.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

I suppose you take what you can build when the state hamstrings you from developing new programs.

Gotta keep ‘em small.

Adding programs is better than removing.

 

[MTCasey]

Also worth clarifying that this is a new building, not a new program- Mechatronics and our other Engineering Technology programs have been around for years, predating the current administration and hearkening back to when Geier, etc. would have prevented us from launching Engineering programs. While it may be true they don't have the reputation of pure Engineering programs that are more theory-based, they have carved out an excellent niche in the industry.

The new building, along with the Concrete and Construction building that just opened, are huge additions and much needed to replace Voorhies (which I believe will be getting the wrecking ball, allowing for some changes to the footprint adjacent to Floyd). This is a positive, despite the inclination of some to try to spin everything as a downer.

 

[DisgruntledAlum]

Dont disagree, but they need to focus on some new dorms. Forcing an incoming freshman into off campus apartments because you allow transfer seniors and juniors to live in dorms is ludicrous.

Freshmen out of high school should have priority and they need to build some new dorms to accommodate growth.

I have an incoming freshman, but thankfully we are local. I'm seeing horror stories on the parents' page.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Dont disagree, but they need to focus on some new dorms. Forcing an incoming freshman into off campus apartments because you allow transfer seniors and juniors to live in dorms is ludicrous.

Freshmen out of high school should have priority and they need to build some new dorms to accommodate growth.

I have an incoming freshman, but thankfully we are local. I'm seeing horror stories on the parents' page.

I'm a firm believer that freshman should be required to live in dorms. It just helps with the overall experience and transition. No matter what some may say, it is a HUGE transition. We 100% need to work on the dorm issue. Just makes us more of a "suitcase" college which hurts alumni participation down the road. Not just athletics, but academic donations as well.

 

[JohnDavidBlue]

Signed up for dorm around January of this year and that was just to get a date in March to select housing. By then, dorms were filling up.

If it weren’t for recent family graduates telling my son to stay on it, he may be in a similar situation as the other incoming freshman.

I don’t think it should be a requirement but having supply to meet demand would be nice.

 

[MTLynn]

The state wants freshmen to go to JUCO first.

 

[RaiderDoug]

The state wants freshmen to go to JUCO first.

Probably a good idea, to be honest.

Why pay 4-year institution prices for English 101 and other low level classes?

The biggest mistake I made was going to UTk for my freshman classes. I racked up a fortune in loans for basic classes I could have knocked out for a fraction of the cost. Add into that I was no where near being mature enough to handle the transition led to expensive, wasted years (wasted in more ways than one). Lots of fun that, but that wasn't what I was there for.

Ya live, ya learn - but if the state wants to funnel kids to cheaper 2-yr institutions, from experience that's not a bad idea.

 

[MidTennMtneer]

Probably a good idea, to be honest.

Why pay 4-year institution prices for English 101 and other low level classes?

The biggest mistake I made was going to UTk for my freshman classes. I racked up a fortune in loans for basic classes I could have knocked out for a fraction of the cost. Add into that I was no where near being mature enough to handle the transition led to expensive, wasted years (wasted in more ways than one). Lots of fun that, but that wasn't what I was there for.

Ya live, ya learn - but if the state wants to funnel kids to cheaper 2-yr institutions, from experience that's not a bad idea.

That's a valid point.

I have my blinders on when it comes to that. I hit it just right and was in junior high/high school while Clinton was in office and the stock market exploded letting my college fund make huge gains.

I got lucky and paid in-state too as my major wasn't available in WV. Graduated with $1700 left in the fund. It's why I've made a point to put aside for the 529 for my son. He can use it for any post ed, even technical school.

There's a guy I've known my whole life almost. Graduated in Political Science same year I did in '02. 42yrs old now and still paying on his loans. So with that view, community college first makes sense.

 

[SpaceRaider]

"transparency"

LOL

MTSU Board of Trustees vows greater transparency after approving tuition increase

Middle Tennessee State University decided to raise tuition and fees 2.98% last week. Shortly after the Board of Trustees’ vote, the Student Government Associa

wpln.org

 

[crposton]

That's a valid point.

I have my blinders on when it comes to that. I hit it just right and was in junior high/high school while Clinton was in office and the stock market exploded letting my college fund make huge gains.

I got lucky and paid in-state too as my major wasn't available in WV. Graduated with $1700 left in the fund. It's why I've made a point to put aside for the 529 for my son. He can use it for any post ed, even technical school.

There's a guy I've known my whole life almost. Graduated in Political Science same year I did in '02. 42yrs old now and still paying on his loans. So with that view, community college first makes sense.

With JUCO being free in Tennessee it makes 0 sense to go to a 4 year school not on scholarship.

 

[ewglenn]

"transparency"

LOL

MTSU Board of Trustees vows greater transparency after approving tuition increase

Middle Tennessee State University decided to raise tuition and fees 2.98% last week. Shortly after the Board of Trustees’ vote, the Student Government Associa

wpln.org

Honestly I think the SGA is being ridiculous. I am a student and $300 per semester isn’t killing anyone. A little over 12% of the increase is athletics related. Our current tuition rates are the third lowest in the state among all of the public 4 year universities. Only APSU and TSU are lower. MTSU is a great value for what students are getting.

 

[ewglenn]

Dont disagree, but they need to focus on some new dorms. Forcing an incoming freshman into off campus apartments because you allow transfer seniors and juniors to live in dorms is ludicrous.

Freshmen out of high school should have priority and they need to build some new dorms to accommodate growth.

I have an incoming freshman, but thankfully we are local. I'm seeing horror stories on the parents' page.

Just to point this out they are planning something. I’m curious what below actually will look like.

• Approved MTSU’s capital disclosures list, which includes a public-private partnership for new student housing; an addition to the Student-Athlete Enhancement Center; electric vehicle charging stations; a new parking structure, and renovations to the Student Recreation Center.

 

[ewglenn]

New Liberal Arts building plan. Nice. Had the groundbreaking for the new Engineering building yesterday I think.

Murphy Center and athletics was mentioned. I'm sure the school itself pays for part of Murphy, not just athletics since it is used for graduations, TSAA, etc. I do wonder if the athletic fee will rise. Currently $240 per student/semester.

$38 per semester increase

 

[MidTennMtneer]

$38 per semester increase

So $278. I wonder how that compares to our peers.

 

[RaiderDeez]

With JUCO being free in Tennessee it makes 0 sense to go to a 4 year school not on scholarship.

I see both sides. On one hand, paying virtually $0 for two years of a 4-year degree is a no-brainer.

On the other hand, that completely removes the value of being a part of campus organizations for all 4 years, e.g. greek life, Band of Blue, etc.

So I'd say it makes complete sense to go JUCO for those freshman who care nothing about the belonging aspect of orgs mentioned above.

 

[SpaceRaider]

it makes complete sense to go JUCO for those freshman who care nothing about the belonging aspect of orgs

It almost seems like McPhee's goal has been to give all students that juco feeling

 

[Raiderclyde]

I'm a firm believer that freshman should be required to live in dorms. It just helps with the overall experience and transition. No matter what some may say, it is a HUGE transition. We 100% need to work on the dorm issue. Just makes us more of a "suitcase" college which hurts alumni participation down the road. Not just athletics, but academic donations as well.

Mandatory residency for freshmen (perhaps sophomores?) is harder to accomplish today vs. 1973 or earlier. Real estate costs for dorms that house hundreds of students (e.g. Pierce Ford Tower at WKU, the old Carmichael Towers at Vanderbilt) is monumental and likely require a public bond issue to be retired over 25-30 years. That is a hard sell to taxpayers and students paying tuition. What makes mandatory dorms even a harder sell is the convenience of on-line degree programs and JUCO system. JUCO's are efficient delivery for required "100/200 level classes" and one can incorporate working/commuting easier if a JUCO is in a county or adjacent county vs being an MTSU student hailing from Summertown, Tullahoma, McMinnville, or Westmoreland going to school in person. On-line degree programs have proven useful in so many ways that we aren't going back to an exclusive mid-twentieth century delivery model; the pandemic all but sealed the value of an online education model.

Definitely agree there is something added about community and in-person attendance being richer, but public education model is set up for delivering quantity vs quality as a priority. Most degree programs for Batchelor's now are set to earning 120 semester credits vs 132 or even 138 due to cost containment. When I was growing up, I was so fortunate to live near MT Campus and have exposure to college life through older cousins, dad working at the university, and seeing culture our campus afforded. My childhood and teen year experiences were atypical in some respects: I saw symphonies, fine art presentations, and attended a lecture forum or two along with some of the athletic events. Think the deeper issue is sustaining culture and community engagement and that has been deemphasized over the last several years. Also, Murfreesboro is not the "sleepy college town" it was during 1960's or 1970's (think more of today's Murray, Kentucky). Our university has been obscured by growth as well as greater exposure of professional sports and that makes our offerings less appealing or compelling to the community at large. The challenge is to compete more effectively to retain affinity of incoming students as well as alumni that share a spirited and that is a quality of product issue that sells the lifetime experience of Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee State University.

 

[ewglenn]

So $278. I wonder how that compares to our peers.

This information was astonishingly difficult to find. I could be off on some so don’t crucify me if I’m off. Some haven’t updated their fee schedule for next year yet.

UTEP $246
KSU- $221
WKU $212
JSU lumped into general fees ($145 per hour)
NMSU $38 per semester hour
SHSU $20 per semester hour
FIU $10 per semester hour

Louisiana Tech couldn’t find
Liberty couldn’t find

 

[Frank Faulkinberry]

I personally think a requirement for freshmen to live on-campus is desirable, if not always feasible. There have definitely been issues with shortages this year. That said, housing did not even fill entirely for several years recently. Balancing the building process with anticipated demand years out is basically impossible. Some new housing is in the master plan, but I wouldn’t expect a significant increase in overall capacity.