![\"\"](\"http:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/chancellor-forum-011-300x225.jpg\" "\\"chancellor-forum-011\\"")
With questions that ranged from sewer gasses to next year\u2019s tuition rates, UCCS students met with Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak Wednesday to find out more about the university\u2019s future.<\/p>\nWith questions that ranged from sewer gasses to next year\u2019s tuition rates, UCCS students met with Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak Wednesday to find out more about the university\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
Shockley-Zalabak provided the dozen students who met with her at the University Center an update on issues such as enrollment and how UCCS compares with other universities in areas such as overall funding and student graduation rates.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the reasons I remain concerned,\u201d Shockley-Zalabak said after delivering an upbeat report on record fall enrollment, \u201cis that among our 31 peer universities across the nation, there is a big gap in the amount of state support received. By every measure, we are receiving the least amount of money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maintaining high quality within severe financial constraints remains a concern and students are correct to wonder if the quality of academic programs is declining. Shockley-Zalabak cited graduation rates, student success on professional exams and the percentage of UCCS students accepted for graduate study as indicators that the quality of a UCCS education remains high.<\/p>\n
In response to questions about tuition, Shockley-Zalabak said she expects public universities and colleges in Colorado to increase tuition from seven to 27 percent next year and that tuition increases at UCCS will be \u201cas low as possible\u201d and likely to increase in the seven to nine percent range.<\/p>\n
Other questions included long-term plans for additional sports facilities on North Nevada, providing free university counseling services, additional study abroad opportunities, and more parking spaces.<\/p>\n
But it was a question about sewer gas at the Summit Village student housing complex that drew the most direct response.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s awful, I hate it. I\u2019m with you,\u201d Shockley-Zalabak said. \u201cThe bottom line is that we messed up when we built housing. We\u2019ve had at least ten studies over the years that have concluded that we have what amounts to an inversion where winds off the bluffs push the sewer gasses down. If anyone here is an engineering student and looking for a project, I\u2019ve got one for you. If you can figure this out, you\u2019ll have a very appreciative university.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shockley-Zalabak encouraged students to work with student government representatives to bring concerns to the administration, to participate in regular brown bag lunches conducted in student housing, to send e-mails, or to ask questions of other UCCS administrators including Peg Bacon, provost, and Homer Wesley, vice chancellor, Student Success. Bacon and Wesley attended the forum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"