Salt Lake Community College administration outlined the school’s proposal for a raise in tuition for 2024–25 during the “Truth in Tuition” student forum event on Feb. 29. They also discussed the recently enacted Utah bill that prohibits diversity programs in higher education.
The forum kicked off with the matter of tuition. Under the proposed plan, the cost of 12–18 credits would see prices change to $56.75 per credit, a 3% increase, with a maximum threshold of $94.50 per credit, a 5% increase. The new tuition dollars would go to replacing lost revenue from the elimination of application fees, moving six previous student fees into tuition, and matching 25% for compensation for health and dental state insurance.
The state funds 75% of college revenue, which leaves one quarter for institutions to personally take on. The proposed 3% tuition increase is projected to raise $1.5 million in college revenue, helping SLCC meet the final 25% of its operating costs.
SLCC has historically kept tuition increases low. When compared to the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) tuition-increase average, SLCC has sat below it in past years, with the exception of the 2022–23 academic year, which was 3% higher than the USHE average.
The college’s Student Fee Advisory Board also presented their proposal for increased fees during last week’s event. It totals $30 to be divided over nine categories: student engagement, building bonds, athletics, student center operations, health and wellness, arts and cultural events, servicing, recreation, and childcare.
SLCC’s proposal must still undergo approval through the college’s Board of Trustees and USHE.
Administration also touched on open-educational resource (OER) classes and the possibility of making all classes OER. OER relies on open-licensed textbooks, usually created by faculty members. The faculty does not receive compensation for creating these textbooks.
“Philosophically, people who do this, like me, are against commercial textbook publishers and believe knowledge should be free,” said Associate Provost for Learning Advancement David Hubert. He added that SLCC estimates that 243,154 students have saved $3 million in textbooks because of OER classes. Currently, one-third of courses at SLCC fall under OER.
After discussion about costs, students engaged in a panel discussion with Hubert, Vice President for Student Affairs Brett Perozzi, and President Deneece Huftalin.
A prevalent topic concerned the recently enacted House Bill 261, which prohibits diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in Utah’s educational institutions. Some students expressed worry over how the college can continue supporting DEI efforts while also adhering to the bill.
Joey Du Shane-Navanick told the panelists that the bill threw them for a loop and that possible changes to the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs had them questioning where they stood in the institute.
“The ODMA was my second home; I felt supported there,” Du Shane-Navanick said. “But this forum melded those fields a bit. [The school] may not change as much, but it is still [changing].”
On the bill, Huftalin advised students to “be knowledgeable of what is and isn’t changing” and encouraged them to contact their representatives. “I have seen amazing outcomes from our DEI groups, but what the state wants is numbers and proof that it improves student success,” she said.
HB 261 takes effect on July 1. The SLCC website says the college is not yet aware of the full impact of the bill but adds that they will prioritize their commitment to an “inclusive campus” as changes are made to comply with the law.
