Differential Tuition Charter

Approved 7.2023

Under Revision
The charter is undergoing revision due to the college restructuring.

Committee Purpose

The College of Arts & Sciences Differential Tuition Advisory Committee advises the dean on the use of that portion of the funds generated by differential tuition that exceed the amount committed to departments to offset reduced course fees. 

Committee Composition

The committee is composed of:

  • One faculty member from each department
  • Two students from each department
  • One staff member
  • All department heads
  • Dean
  • Associate deans
  • Director of advancement
  • USUSA Caine College senator
  • Financial officer

Student members should be chosen through an open election, typically during fall semester. All enrolled major students are eligible to vote.

Faculty members will be elected by the department faculty. Faculty and student members serve two-year terms and may serve successive terms. Department heads serve as voting ex officio members without term limit. The dean of the college, executive associate dean, financial officer, USUSA student senator and director of advancement serve as non-voting ex officio members without term limit. The staff representative is a voting member, appointed by the director of Production Services in consultation with the dean. Staff representatives will serve for two years and may serve successive terms.

The committee will be chaired by the associate dean of the college responsible for student affairs who will serve as a voting member. The chair will convene the committee at least once annually on the Tuesday prior to the Thanksgiving holiday with additional meetings called as needed to carry out the responsibilities of the committee. 

In the event that an elected member is unable or unwilling to serve, a temporary alternate may be appointed by the associate dean for student affairs to ensure constituent representation. 

Committee Responsibilities

The committee will solicit proposals for funding by differential tuition from college members, evaluate the proposals, and make recommendations about priority for funding to the dean. The committee will generate a call for proposals and advertise it to as broad a range of students, faculty, and staff as possible. The committee will provide a standard form for applicants to use and will make evaluation criteria public. A call for proposals will be distributed each year. 

Committee evaluations and recommendations will be sent to the dean along with the original proposals. The dean of the college has sole responsibility for final decisions about expenditures and the timing of those expenditures. The committee’s role is strictly advisory.

The committee will respond to all proposals in a timely fashion. Upon request, the committee, or a subset of the committee, will meet with unsuccessful proposal sponsors to clarify the committee’s evaluation. 

Proposals

Proposals may be submitted by any college member, defined for the purposes of this committee as student with a declared major in a college department, or a faculty or staff member with an assigned role in the college. Completed proposals must be submitted to the dean’s office by a deadline to be selected by the dean during the last week of October for consideration at the annual meeting.

Evaluation

Proposals will be ranked by the committee using the following scale:

5. Strong support: fund at earliest possible opportunity
4. Moderate support
3. Weak support
2. Moderate opposition
1. Strong opposition: do not fund
0. Ineligible for funding

Among the criteria committee members will consider are the following:

Will the proposed project:

  • Align with the mission of the college and/or department?
  • Enhance the student experience?
  • Improve the visibility of the college or department?
  • Benefit students in multiple programs?
  • Leverage funding from other sources?
  • Be unable to attract state or student government funding?

Charter Amendments

This charter may be amended by the committee. Amendments or alterations may be proposed by any committee member and must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the voting members of the committee and the dean.