Hocking College planning to raise tuition by 3 percent

Hocking College is tentatively planning to increase tuition by 3 percent for the next school year.
The Hocking College Board of Trustees approved the tuition increase at a meeting on Tuesday, and also discussed other issues such as the smoking policy on campus, funding for an alternative fuel center, and renovation work being done at the Inn at Hocking College.

Hocking College is tentatively planning to increase tuition by 3 percent for the next school year.
The Hocking College Board of Trustees approved the tuition increase at a meeting on Tuesday, and also discussed other issues such as the smoking policy on campus, funding for an alternative fuel center, and renovation work being done at the Inn at Hocking College.

Because the state budget is not yet finalized and the state funding for higher education has not been determined, the Board of Trustees approved the tuition increase on the condition that the budget situation does not change dramatically.

Hocking College President John Light pointed out during the meeting that the Ohio House of Representatives indicated that higher education may have a 3 percent tuition cap for the next academic year, and that Hocking College could receive a 5 percent increase in state funding while also raising tuition by 3 percent.

The state funding figures may change, but the college is currently operating under this budget scenario, Light said. The trustees unanimously approved the tuition increase.

Gov. Ted Strickland originally proposed that state colleges and universities join a compact agreeing to not increase tuition at all this year, while receiving a 5 increase in state funding. Many public colleges and universities, such as Ohio University, have been discussing not increasing tuition at all for next year and joining Strickland's compact.

Light said there have been discussions about placing the two-year colleges and four-year universities on different funding formulas, but he thinks this is a bad idea.
Increasing tuition by 3 percent will raise the quarterly fee from $1,182 to $1,217, Light said.

Also at the meeting, the trustees heard from Light that a committee looking at the smoking policy on campus recommended that the current policy not be changed. The policy does not allow smoking or using tobacco products on any Hocking College property, unless an individual is in a personal vehicle. Light pointed out that some people have asked about smoking or having tobacco at Lake Snowden Park, and he stressed that smoking is not allowed in the park unless an individual is in a personal vehicle. A boat, he added, qualifies as a personal vehicle, so someone can smoke or have tobacco products if he or she is in a boat on the lake.

Molly Weiland, dean of the School of Health and Nursing, served on the smoking committee and said the committee heard few complaints about the policy. The committee was asked if students who live on campus but do not have cars should be allowed to have somewhere to smoke, Weiland said. She pointed out that no place was found on campus that would be a good place for smoking, so the committee decided to keep the policy as it is.

During the discussion of the issue, Light and others pointed out that students can smoke in personal vehicles owned by other students, or go off campus to smoke.

Weiland also said that David Valkinburg, director of campus safety at Hocking College, said he has seen situations where students have piled into pickup trucks so they can all smoke.
While discussing funding issues, the trustees approved a proposal to raise $3 million for the proposed alternative fuel center in Hocking County through bonds. This money will be used in addition to the $1.6 million grant the college received from the federal government, as well as money raised in donations.

Trustee Steve Swart pointed out that Hocking College is building this center at just the right time, especially with gas prices rising sharply in recent weeks.

The trustees also discussed funding for the renovation work at the Inn at Hocking College. The trustees asked for a better explanation of the process for how trustees approve different parts of funding for the project.

Light said during the discussion that the  current budget will provide funding for building the new spa area (which will provide a service to the community and be part of an educational program), renovation of the front of the Inn building, and renovation work on the roof of the building.