The Board of Trustees approved a budget of $703.6 million for the fiscal year 2025, an increase of 2.3% or $16.1 million from the 2024 fiscal year budget of $687.5 million. 

With the budget’s passage, Vice Chair Ann Womer Benjamin said the finance and administration committee established four main objectives heading into the fiscal year 2025.

“On an annual basis, the Provost Office reviews all colleges and evaluates the justification for each,” she said.

The main objectives include a focus on core creative and research activities as well as employee and student well being, limiting new hires, reducing spending by $12.3 million and preserving a sound financial position. 

The board also raised fall tuition for incoming undergraduates in the fall 2024 semester under the Ohio Undergraduate Tuition Guarantee requirements, which prevents public universities from raising tuition by more than 3% for incoming undergraduates for the 2024-25 academic year.

The Ohio Undergraduate Tuition Guarantee model mandates that Ohio public universities charge the same yearly tuition for each undergraduate cohort, meaning an individual student’s tuition cost would remain the same across all four years of college.

According to dollar amounts provided by the university, tuition increases for incoming undergraduates include a 3% increase for in-state undergraduate students ($6,526.80 per semester), a 4% surcharge per semester for incoming out-of-state undergraduate students and a 4% increase in tuition for graduate students.

Other changes to incoming student expenses include a 1.5% increase for double rooms – $4,030 per semester and a 5.5% increase in the cost of the Blue meal plan – $2,690 per semester.

Womer Benjamin said these increases are to support the quality of academic programming and research opportunities.

All costs will remain the same for incoming students for the remainder of their undergraduate tenure at Kent State.

Trustee Womer Benjamin elected as new chair of the Board of Trustees

Vice Chair Womer Benjamin became the newest chair of the faculty senate meeting, succeeding trustee Shawn M. Riley.

Riley served as chair for two two-year terms as chair of the board of trustees.

President Todd Diacon thanked Riley for serving as chair, awarding Riley with his gavel as a gift.

“Typically, board chair serve for two years at Kent State,” he said. “With COVID, we were pleased chair Riley served for four years.”

Incumbent chair Womer Benjamin also thanked Riley for his extended tenure.

“You have certainly provided stable leadership,” she said. “I think you worked so well to keep us informed and you are a great person.”

Secretary Donald Mason was elected to take Womer Benjamin’s place as Vice Chair while Trustee Pamela Bobst was elected to fill the secretary position.

President Diacon was also reelected, along with national trustees Barry Fetterman and Sandra Volpe.

Other board actions

The board approved the 2024 KSU Complete College Ohio Campus Completion Plan, which was implemented in 2014 to increase retention and graduation rates among Kent State students.

The university reports a retention rate of 79.7%, an improvement from the 53% reported in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release from Kent State Today. 

Three naming actions were approved, including the naming of the Grunley Strategy and Study Center in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design, the Tim Carlisle classroom in the upcoming Ambassador Crawford College of Business, and the Gaston Prentice House, which hosts the Wick Poetry Center.

The board voted to inactivate the agribusiness major, as well as the environmental health and safety major, with the board citing low enrollment in the programs.

Also approved was a partnership with Cleveland Clinic for an athletics medical services provider starting July 1, 2024.

Other providers approved by the board were, EAB, a consulting firm specializing in education for the Division of Enrollment Management, EBSCO, a database provider for the Kent State library and Sauder Education, a furniture provider for residence halls.

The board approved maintenance projects for HVAC units across the seven regional campuses, as well as renovations for room 120 in The Student Center.

The next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Wednesday Sept. 18.

Michael Neenan is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].