By Emily Rodriguez
President Maria Hernandez Ferrier and Provost Brent Snow departed this afternoon to attend the quarterly Board of Regents meeting May 1 held at Texas A&M University-College Station.
Ferrier and Snow left to attend the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs meeting and to meet with the other system presidents and provosts.
“We do work together, that’s exactly why separate meetings are called. I talk to them about things that affect academic affairs and faculty and curriculum and how we can improve in those areas,” Snow said, adding that system provosts meet monthly.
Snow said the meeting will cover academic and student affairs and how to improve retention and student learning outcomes.
Ferrier will present to the Board of Regents this university’s proposed fixed-rate tuition and fee plan.
The presentation and hearing allows students and the public to give their input of the plan to the Board of Regents.
The hearing takes place May 1 in the Bethancourt Ballroom of the Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M-College Station. The Board of Regents asks that anyone who chooses to speak to follow Policy 02.01 on public testimony.
The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 29 last year requiring public universities to offer a fixed tuition price plan to undergraduate students. The universities within the Texas A&M System were tasked to create their own tuition plans to take effect beginning Fall 2014.
Last week, Dr. Melissa Mahan, vice president for student affairs, hosted two informational forums to brief faculty and students of the university’s fixed-rate tuition plan.
In other business, the Board of Regents will consider approving this university’s recreational sports fee that students approved in March to bring intramural sports for fall.
Discussion of the fee is not listed on the formal agenda but will be voted on.
If approved, students would pay a $100 flat-rate fee for fall and spring semesters and $50 for each summer session.
Snow said that Ferrier most likely discuss the fee during her presentation of the university’s tuition plan.
“When there’s a board meeting that revolves around those kinds of issues they take on an added, I wouldn’t say more important, but added importance to a board meeting,” Snow said. “But they’re all important, there’s no question about that.”
Also, administration will recommend to the board 13 faculty members for tenure promotion, from assistant professor to associate. Snow said an additional faculty member was recommended for promotion, from associate to full professor.
The Board of Regents must approve faculty promotions. Those who are given tenure are promoted to associate professor and can eventually rise to full professor.
