The UAF Faculty Senate Administrative Committee passed the following on August 26, 2005:
RESOLUTION:
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Supporting Continuation of the UA Senior Tuition Waiver
WHEREAS, The University of Alaska established a program to provide tuition waivers for seniors 60 years of age or older who register on a space available basis; that is, when courses can accommodate such students in addition to all tuition-paying students;
WHEREAS, Seniors 60 or older who receive this tuition waiver still pay all incidental costs for their classes including books, lab, student government/activity, and parking fees;
WHEREAS, The presence of seniors in University of Alaska classes is a significant benefit to younger students because of the life experience and often different world view that seniors have compared to younger students;
WHEREAS, The University of Alaska major academic units are striving to enhance their fundraising capabilities, with seniors leading the demographic group most likely to donate to the institutions; and
WHEREAS, Relatively little fiscal analysis has been done that would allow a cost-benefit analysis of this proposal to discontinue the senior tuition waiver; such an analysis would take into account at least the inelasticity of the demand for courses under this program, the lost fee revenues, and, perhaps most significantly, the potential to lose major donations to the institution as a result of this policy change; now
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the UAF Faculty Senate supports continuation of the senior tuition waiver, and recommends the University Statewide Administration look at alternative measures to reduce the supposed cost impacts of the program.
UA