Baylor Board Sets Tuition, Approves New Student Housing

October 25, 2002

by Larry D. Brumley

Baylor University Regents at their Oct. 25 meeting set tuition and fees for the 2003-2004 academic year, approved funding for construction of the university's first campus residential facilities in almost 40 years, and endorsed modifications to degree programs in the School of Engineering and Computer Science and School of Music.
Tuition for undergraduate students entering Baylor in the fall of 2003 will be $16,750, a 6.69 percent increase over this year's rate of $15,700. The University moved to a flat-rate tuition structure this fall. Continuing students who enrolled prior to fall 2002 will see a tuition increase of 6.67 percent to $432 per semester hour. The overall increase for continuing students, including room, board and other fees, is 5.16 percent. Freshmen and transfers will pay 5.41 percent more for tuition, fees, room and board next year.
Other increases will be 6.73 percent for graduate students and 6.86 percent for George W. Truett Theological Seminary students. New law students entering in fall 2003 will see a 12.5 percent increase while continuing law students will experience a 9.91 percent increase in tuition.
The proposed first phase of new campus housing - the "North Village" - will be located between the Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Building and the new Dutton Avenue parking/office facility. It will be bound on the north by University Parks Drive and on the south by Third Street. The site development creates strong pedestrian connections to the main library, the core campus and dining facilities.
The approximately $30 million North Village will house 600 students with living options not currently available in on-campus housing, including suite-style units with living rooms, semi-private baths and kitchens in 20 percent of the units. The Village will be composed of four, three-story buildings that will be served by a central community center. Student support and programming space will be located on the ground floor of each building.
Groundbreaking is set for late spring, and the facilities are expected to be ready for occupancy in fall 2004.
The Board approved the addition of a bachelor of science in electrical and computer engineering (BSECE) and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering (BSME) to the existing bachelor of science in engineering (BSE) degree. Regents were informed that associating the name of the major with the degree title has become a standard in the engineering profession, as evidenced by the other Big 12 schools and the 12 other Texas institutions with accredited engineering programs in mechanical, electrical and/or computer engineering.
The number of hours required to earn a bachelor of music education (BME) degree was reduced from 148 to 135-143, and a second required course in religion as well as 3-11 semester hours of a foreign language were added to the BME general studies requirements.
The Board's next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 27-28, 2003.