By Taylor Moak

UK students now know how much they will pay for school next year.

Student tuition and mandatory fee increases for the 2010-11 academic school year were approved by the Board of Trustees at its meeting Tuesday.

Stephen P. Branscum, chairman of the finance committee, presented the proposal of rate increases from the finance committee to the BOT for approval.

Branscum said rates will increase for most students.

“The tuition and mandatory fee rates reflect a 6 percent increase for most residents and non-resident students,” Branscum said.

The proposed increases stayed within the parameters set by the Council on Postsecondary Education, which capped tuition and fee increases for undergraduate and in-state tuition at UK and the University of Louisville at 6 percent, Branscum said.

With the board’s approval of the proposal, freshman and sophomore resident students will pay $4,305 per semester for the 2010-11 academic year. This is compared to the $4,061.50 they paid for each semester of the 2009-10 academic year.

Non-resident freshmen and sophomores will pay $500 per semester more than last year.

However, Branscum said UK expects tuition to remain below other institutions.

“The university expects the resident undergrad rates will remain below the median rate of the top-20 institutions,” Branscum said.

The recommended increases in tuition were based on the CPE parameters, state budget appropriations expected to decrease by $4.3 million and affordability concerns in university operations, Branscum said.

Other items discussed at the meeting included UK’s current process to be re-accredited with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and approval of May 2010 degree candidates.

For more information, check out the live blog at 50.63.25.108.

Student Affairs recap

Tuesday morning, the Student Affairs Committee heard Student Government President Ryan Smith talk about his plans to re-evaluate the student basketball ticket lottery.

“An e-mail will be sent out later this week to the student body and faculty,” Smith said. “We are looking for student feedback in this process.”

Michelle Ashcraft announced at the meeting that “Zeitoun” by Dave Eggers was chosen as the book for the Common Reading Experience this fall.

The Common Reading Experience is a program started last year. The program chooses a book all first-year students will read before coming to UK.

During K-Week, students have the chance to discuss the book with faculty, staff and other students.

The author is scheduled to come to UK Sep. 27, and an alternative spring break trip to New Orleans, the setting of the book, is currently under review.

The committee also voted to accept revisions in the Student Code and those changes will be presented for approval at the next full BOT meeting in June.

The revisions to the code particularly affect student-against-student cases, the rights of the hearing process and compliance with state and federal law.

Students may access the full proposed revisions to the code of student conduct at http://www.uky.edu/StudentAffairs.

— Melody Bailiff