When the ASUNM and GPSA leaders spoke at the budget summit on April 1, UNM President Louis Caldera and the Board of Regents must have been listening closely.
Caldera proposed a 12.8 percent tuition increase for resident tuition - similar to the 12.3 percent increase ASUNM proposed at the budget summit. The regents approved Caldera's budget proposal unanimously Tuesday.
Nonresident tuition will increase by 4.6 percent. Student Union and technology fees totaling $58 are also included in the overall increase.
About 50 students came to the Regents' meeting expecting to get time to speak before the board about tuition.
Many left because the meeting lasted nearly three hours.
Regents Maria Griego-Raby and Sandra Begay-Campbell argued that students should be allowed to comment before preliminary reports and general business were conducted.
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"In fairness and in the spirit of our open meeting, we should let people speak," Griego-Raby said.
But Regents' Chairman Jamie Koch denied the request, saying students would have their time when the proposed budget came before the board.
"This whole process is very troubling," said senior Trey Smith, one of the few students who waited for the issue to come up. "This tuition increase affects everyone, and everyone should be allowed to speak. Students have lives. They have to go to class. Most students can't be here for three hours."
Ben Tucker, another student who waited, said the regents need to take steps to decrease tuition, not continue to raise it every year.
"I would hope all of you would make it a reasonable priority that New Mexico residents be able to afford an education at the University of New Mexico," Tucker said.
Regent Mel Eaves said he voted for the budget with some reservations. He said state funding for higher education is decreasing yearly, and students are being asked to carry that burden, which may be necessary, but is unfair.
"The students are taking over the role of the state to finance higher education," Eaves said. "We have to be very careful that the Legislature doesn't take credit for this. That would be a disaster."
Associated Students of UNM President Jennifer Onuska said the 12.8 percent tuition increase is a lot smaller than it could have been.
She said students need to realize a 22 percent increase was the alternative.
"There was a way to address compensation and additional faculty hiring without having to do a 22 percent increase, and a couple weeks ago, 22 percent was nearly a reality," Onuska said. "If our faculty continue to leave because they're underpaid, the students suffer. And we felt this year's budget needed to address that."
The UNM Budget Office will send the budget to the Commission on Higher Education for analysis and approval.
