Miami University

Room and board rates set for 1999-2000

09/22/1998

OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami University's board of trustees today (Sept. 18)

unanimously approved room and board rates for the 1999-2000 academic year.

The annual cost of room and board for most first-year students, currently at

$5,070, will be $5,330 next year--a 5.1 percent increase.

"Miami's room and board rates remain quite competitive," said Edward J.

Demske, senior vice president for finance and university services. "Our

combined room and board rate is the lowest of the state-assisted universities."

The value provided does not come at the expense of quality, he said,

explaining that student customers consistently rate Miami's residence hall and

food services highly in annual surveys.

Last year, more than 90 percent of students surveyed expressed satisfaction

with the halls' cleanliness and 95 percent approved of the attitudes of housing

staff. More than 90 percent reported that overall they were satisfied or very

satisfied with campus food service operations. The National Association of

College and University Food Services reviewed Miami's food services in 1997,

concluding that the university had "one of the finest and cleanest operations

they had ever seen" and that Miami's program "should be emulated by

universities around the country."

The increase in housing charges is due to the need to incur additional debt

for repair and renovation work in the university's 36 residence halls and seven

dining halls.

Room and board rates are traditionally set by Miami in September so that

current students can compare costs as they investigate next year's on- and

off-campus housing options.

Demske explained that Miami provides a variety of meal plan packages and

residence hall options and individual costs vary depending on the option

selected.

In other action, trustees:

• Received a report stating that grants and contracts for the year

  ending June 30 totaled $12.5 million compared to $11.9 for the previous year.

• Received a report stating that the university's investments earned 15.1

  percent for the year that ended June 30. The rate of return since 1983 has

  averaged 14.3 percent with a range of -2 percent to 25.2 percent.

• Approved seeking a matching grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation

  for improving the runway and taxiway underground electrical service at the

  Miami airport. Cost is an estimated $64,700 and Miami's share will be 10

  percent of that total.

• Were updated on the progress of the administrative systems project that

  deals with the Year 2000 problem and upgrades hardware and software systems

  throughout the university.