Unlike many other colleges, AU is standing on a "very solid fiscal foundation," Provost Scott Bass explained during a Jan. 21 town hall meeting on AU's budget.
Bass and Vice President of Finance and Treasurer Don Myers told members of the AU community the university's budget is dependent upon student tuition, not endowment. Because so many students have enrolled and continue to enroll at AU, Bass and Myers said there will be no need for fiscal cutbacks this year.
"I can say with good conscience that not only are we not talking about cutbacks, we are talking about making serious improvements in our education," Bass said in an AU press release.
Myers said that although enrollment is currently high, the university must still take precautions in the event that the poor economy takes a toll on the number of students at AU.
The new budget plan will have a "tuition management program" built into it, and calls for a tuition increase of between 4.5 and 6.5 percent, according to the press release.
President Neil Kerwin will present a new budget plan for the 2010-2011 fiscal year in approximately one month.
-ANNA TUMAN
