Students given platform to voice their opinion on rising tuition

ASPSU is teaming up with the Office of the President to create a tuition-setting committee to be put into action this semester at Portland State. The committee will be comprised of selected students and will serve as a liaison between university decision-makers and the student body in general.

“ASPSU has always had an informal role in tuition-setting, and President Wiewel and I would like to formalize that role and he would like it to be in line with the proposed model put forth in the [Oregon University System] restructuring proposal,” said ASPSU President Katie Markey.

Markey issued an e-mail this week urging ASPSU student senators and executive branch members to nominate students who would be interested in being on the committee.

While neither Markey nor the president’s office can comment on the extent of the committee’s power, Markey said that it “will play an active role in determining the tuition for PSU students.”

Reports of rising tuition costs have been popping up all over the nation and the world. Last month, the Associated Press reported that students in England, France and Germany rallied to protest steep tuition increases, which were part of a plan to close the gap left by reduced federal funding. During the week of Dec. 6, thousands of British students rioted outside Parliament Square, angered by the proposed plan that would triple tuition at British universities.

The case is much the same in the U.S. According to an article published by the Chronicle of Higher Education on Dec. 16, state budget hardships have led to 96 percent of public and 85 percent of private institutions to increase tuition.

The tuition committee will begin convening this month. For those interested in participating, e-mail [email protected]. ?