Board ups tuition

At their first meeting of 1999 the Board of Trustees approved a tuition increase of 3.98 percent, which will bring next year's charge to $24,096. The overall increase in fees and tuition will be 2.94 percent, however, because room and board fees are not increasing uniformly with tuition.

The increases in tuition are on par with Oberlin's sister institutions, according to College President Nancy Dye. "I don't think we will be unusual this year," she said.

The overall increase is not quite as large as last year's increase of 3.6 percent. The increase is necessary to cover growing costs, according to Vice President for Finance Andy Evans. "We have had to inch this up a little bit to reflect our budget challenges," he said.

In other business, the trustees welcomed a new trustee, agreed to revise the sexual offense policy, tenured and promoted faculty, approved spending to refurbish the Oberlin Inn and heard reports about the College's financial health and alumni programs. The open session of the trustees' meeting lasted just under a half hour.

The trustees elected Barbara Rastov, OC '61, to replace Robert Krulwich, OC '69, who did not seek reelection to the board.

The Board voted to revise the College's sexual offense policy. Representatives from the Sexual Assault Support Team recommended changes to the policy at the open trustees forum in December. Although the College's current policy has been determined to be legal, the trustees decided to update the policy on SAST's recommendation.

The president of the alumni association, Peter Kirsch, OC '79, told the trustees about the alumni association's newest communications features. In addition to an updated home page, the alumni association will issue all alumni a permanent e-mail account that will allow alumni to keep in touch throughout their lives. The e-mail account will bounce any messages alumni get at Oberlin to their current account. Maneker said, "I think this is just terrific. It is going to do wonderful things for the outside Oberlin community."

In a brief investment committee report, Myron Szold, OC '56, reported that the endowment stood at $430 million, which he described as "slightly less than the highest we've ever seen it." The trustees voted to approve a shift away from foreign investments and into domestic ones (See related story page 4).

The budget and finance committee also authorized $750,000 for building maintenance required during the year. The committee also approved funding to renovate the Oberlin Inn. The $532,000 needed for the renovations will be provided by the Mudd Library building fund.

The trustees also granted tenure to seven professors in the college of arts and sciences, and three professors in the Conservatory. Professor of Creative Writing Martha Collins and Associate Professor of East Asian Studies Ann Sherif received tenure, while five professors were promoted to associate professor; Johnny Coleman in the African- American Studies department, David Kamitsuka in the religion department, Wendy Kozol in the women's studies department, Nanette Yannuzzi Macias in the art department, and A.G. Miller in the religion department.

In the Conservatory, the trustees tenured Associate Professor of Music Theory Brian Alegent, Associate Professor of Computer Music and New Media Richard Povall, and Associate Professor of Jazz Studies and Double Bass Peter Dominguez. \