SRU trustees bid farewell to student appointee; rescind tuition increase proposal

May 7, 2020

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University council of trustees said goodbye to one of their own today at their quarterly business meeting. The council bid farewell and commended Dylan Colcombe for his service on the council as a student trustee. Colcombe, a senior from North Huntingdon, will graduate this month with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education.

Gov. Tom Wolf appointed Colcombe to the SRU trustees June 5, 2019. Colcombe's selection was based on the recommendations of Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, and SRU President William Behre, following a campuswide application and interview process.

"I really appreciate everything the council has done for me during my time with the trustees," said Colcombe. "It was a rewarding and educational experience that will serve me well moving forward."

Colcombe, a color guard and platoon leader with SRU's Army ROTC program, was a recipient of the ROTC's Advance Designee and SRU's Achievement Award scholarships. A member of SRU's track and field team, he was a six-time All-Region honoree in multi-event competitions and the pole vault. He competed in a total of 18 different track and field events during his four-year collegiate career, never placing lower than third in the decathlon at a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference meet, and he was a PSAC scholar-athlete.

The trustees also formalized the University's decision to rescind a new tuition rate and financial aid model for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 academic years to the State System board of governors. The proposed tuition pricing and financial aid plan was put on hold following the April 29 announcement by the BOG that it was freezing tuition for 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At SRU, basic in-state tuition for undergraduate students will remain at $7,716 for the 2020-21 academic year, while basic out-of-state tuition for undergraduate students will remain at $15,432. For graduate students, in-state tuition will remain at $516 per credit hour, while out-of-state tuition will remain at $774 per credit hour.

In other action, the council also approved contracts, fixed assets and service and supply contracts; the University's capital budget for fiscal year 2020-21; and meeting dates for the 2020-21 academic year, which will be Sept. 24-25, Dec. 10-11, 2020, and March 25-26 and June 3-4, 2021.

Through its standing committees, the trustees:

• Received an academic program update from Jerry Chmielewski, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Carrie Birckbichler, chief data officer.
• Received an update on enrollment from Amanda Yale, chief enrollment officer.
• Received an update on capital budget submissions for the 2020-21 fiscal year from Amir Mohammadi, senior vice president for administration, global engagement and economic development and interim vice president for advancement.
• Heard a financial update, including budgetary impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, from Molly Mercer, chief financial officer.
• Received an update on University personnel items from Lynne Motyl, chief human resources officer.
• Agreed to move forward the following slate of incoming officers for the 2020-21 academic year: Matt Lautman as chair of the council, Elise Michaux as vice-chair and the incoming student trustee as secretary. A vote on their appointment will take place at the next council meeting, June 4-5.
• Received an update from Dennis Washington, vice president for University advancement, about the comprehensive fundraising campaign study; the Slippery Rock University Foundation, Inc.; and the 2020 Day of Caring.
• Received an update on the Pennsylvania Association of Councils from Jeff Smith, chair, SRU trustees.

The council's next meeting is June 4-5.

MEDIA CONTACT: Robb King | 724.738.2199 | robb.king@sru.edu