1. 2018-2019 Residence Hall Room & Board Rates
Setting Rates:
How does it work?
October 30, 2017
Residential Life
Minnesota State University, Mankato

2. Overview What are room & board rates?
What is the student consultation process?
What changes have come from this process?
Prior years in general
This last year specifically
What’s next?

3. What Are Room & Board Rates?

4. Room Rates
The fees that students pay to live in University- supervised housing
Crawford
McElroy
Julia Sears
Preska
Stadium Heights

5. Room Rates Room rates cover more things than apartment rent:
Room & furnishings
Utilities (power, heat, cooling if offered)
Cable, internet (wired and wireless)
Laundry
Water, sewer, trash & recycling
Common area amenities, cleaning & maintenance
Services
Front Desks
Res Tech Services
Staff supervision

6. Board Rates What you pay for meal plans This covers: Food
Staff to make & serve the food
Staff to clean up
Maintenance of dining equipment
Utilities – water, electricity, gas
Cleaning, & maintenance of dining spaces
Disposable items like cups and napkins
Utensils, pots & pans, to-go containers
Computers, cash registers, software licensing

7. Setting the rates for the next year
We look at current and projected expenses for both room and board
We determine rates that will cover those expenses and reinvestment in the facilities
We talk about new services and amenities that students may want
We set a rate to meet these needs

8. What if there is a tuition freeze?
Tuition is for instruction and University services that support instruction. All students pay tuition. Tuition is a required fee.
A tuition freeze does not apply to room and board rates.
Room and board rates are a fee that a student chooses to pay for a specific service. It is not a mandatory fee because no one is required to live on campus.
Residence Halls and Student Unions are part of the Revenue Fund, and are like individual businesses within the University.
We have long-term debt like a mortgage for a house.
Part of your room rate pay the debt service.

9. What is Student Consultation?

10. Student Consultation Process
The University shares information with student leaders about the rates planning process
Students ask questions and provide input
Students vote on recommendations
The Board of Trustees considers the rate proposals and has approval authority
They want to see evidence that the campus staff consulted with the students on this process.

11. Student Consultation Process
MnSCU Board of Trustees (BOT) legally sets all fees
Universities consult with students
Universities submit their fee proposals and rationale to BOT
MSSA sends a letter to BOT describing the consultation process
Board of Trustees decides
Residence Hall Rates Consultation Process
Setting up the Process October 27
Presentations to RHA and MSSA Beginning today
Reps share information & get floor input
RHA votes, recommends to MSSA Nov 27 & 29

12. What Changes Have Come From This Process?

13. Past Changes From Student Consultation on Residence Hall Rates
Water bottle fillers on drinking fountains
Ice Machines
Reuseable To-Go containers
Free laundry
Food Service hours
Weeknight & weekend dinner hours
Weekend continuous service (doesn’t close between meals)
Desk supplies, DVD checkout, RHA promo item
Toilet paper in private bathrooms
Water filters in floor kitchens

14. : RHA Voted For . . .

15. Desk Check-Out Supplies
Upgrade Desk Check-out Supplies
$750 per desk
Pots, pans and utensils for use in floor kitchens
Games
Sporting equipment
Add to base rate: $1.00 per student

16. RHA Promotional Item One item provided to each residence hall student
Add to base rate: $3.00 per student

17. Toilet Paper in Private Bathrooms
Provide toilet paper in private bathrooms:
Semi-suites in Julia Sears and Preska
Full-bath singles & Full-bath doubles in Crawford, McElroy, and Preska I
Stadium Heights apartments
Previously toilet paper was provided:
Public bathrooms
Community bathrooms in Crawford, McElroy, and Preska I
Add to base rate: $12.00 per student

18. What’s your idea?
Would you like to see the cost of these ideas that have been raised in the past?
TVs in each floor lounge
Paper towels in floor bathrooms
What ideas do you have?

19. Next Time: Budget Assumptions for 2016-2017 Base Rate for Room & Board
Improvement Options, first draft

20. Discussion