The whole picture
The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees approved the possibility of upper and lower level tuition rates on Thursday for the 2010-11 academic year.
Students who are enrolled in courses with less than 55 credit hours will pay less than students enrolled with 56 or more credit hours.
The trustees argue that this is because upper level courses provide "quality learning experiences," are smaller and overall are more expensive.
Trustee Stephanie Comai reassured the board this was just an "approval of a concept," which means no action will be taken on the matter until the time is right to hit unsuspecting high school seniors with yet another cost.
The recommendation assures that students still in their contracted CMU Promise will not be affected. By 2010, however, more than half of students won't be under the Promise.
CMU, along with fellow Mid-American Conference school Eastern Michigan University, offers a flat, per credit hour rate, while schools like Michigan State and Wayne State offer the upper and lower level rates.
Ferris State University and others offer a block rate, which sets tuition according to a block of credit hours a student is in.
And as a compromiser, Grand Valley State University, University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Flint and Western Michigan University offer a combination of tiered tuition and the block rate.
The adoption of this recommendation is a clear indication that administrators have no faith that the CMU Promise will return.
Overall, the concept makes sense, and the trustees' reasoning was logical.
However, as much as the trustees try to keep tuition at a reasonable rate, the more they approve tuition items that could do exactly the opposite.
If trustees do approve the final plan to offer tiered tuition, then they should agree that introductory courses cost less, and charge accordingly.
This means the students' tuition could equal out because they are paying less for introductory level classes, and more for specified classes, leveling out to an average rate.
But can we be so sure the administration will apply the inverse principle to setting tuition?
What if a calculation was established and applied to determine tuition, with components of usefulness, educational value and materials needed to complete the course? That is an adequate way to determine cost.
