Syracuse University administrators are selling Invest Syracuse as a “bold approach” to revitalizing the university. The initiative is, indeed, bold in that it aims to raise $100 million for relatively undefined projects. It’s also bold in how it leaves future students bearing nearly one-third of that cost.

The five-year plan aims to redefine the student experience, promote the advancement of discovery and innovation and expand opportunity for underrepresented and marginalized students, according to the Invest Syracuse website.

To reach the $100 million goal in the next five years, SU will collect $40 million through private donations and save $30 million by cutting administrative costs. The remaining $30 million will come from a $3,300 tuition increase for incoming students on top of SU’s annual tuition increase of more than 3 percent.

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There are aspects of Invest Syracuse that will be assets to students, such as expanding tutoring resources and hiring additional faculty. But the initiative comes with few specific and tangible goals, and potential students should wonder just what their tuition money will be paying for.

SU has, so far this semester, hosted two public forums to garner input and answer questions from the campus community. These meetings were meant to provide insight on the initiative’s goals and plans, but they left me with more questions than answers.

Invest Syracuse is branded as a five-year program that aims to raise $100 million. But the raised tuition costs won’t go down after five years — or when the $100 million goal is achieved.

Since faculty and student wellness initiatives don’t end after five years, the university will need the extra cash flow from the tuition hike, said Amir Rahnamay-Azar, SU’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, to The Daily Orange Editorial Board.

Six years from now, Invest Syracuse will technically be complete. But every SU student will still be paying that $3,300 premium in addition to any other tuition hikes. With SU’s 14,000 students paying an extra $3,300 each, the university will be raking in upward of an additional $40 million each year.

Invest Syracuse comes on the heels of the university’s Campus Framework plan, which was announced in 2014 and has been updated every year since. The basic goal of the framework is to renovate and update the campus by 2037. The plan’s exact cost is unknown, but renovations to the Carrier Dome and Archbold Gymnasium are estimated to cost $250 million.

In a meeting with The D.O. Editorial Board, Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president of student enrollment and the student experience said SU administrators have spoken with students “all over the country” and found that students don’t value a school’s sticker price as much as other characteristics. Student experience and campus aesthetics, apparently, hold more weight than the sticker price in a college decision. That mindset is reflected in the massive framework and its plans to renovate many of the buildings on campus.

 

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SU’s tuition is low compared to peer institutions, Evanovich said. But unclear, long-term plans are hard for students, particularly likely many incoming freshmen, to understand.

Members of the SU class entering in fall 2018 and spring 2019 could pay $50,230 in tuition alone — discounts through financial aid notwithstanding. The total cost of attendance could run up to as much as $72,329, according to the university’s website.

To compare, Yale University, one of the top universities in the country, costs an estimated $70,570 for the 2017-18 academic year. Binghamton University, considered one of the top public schools in New York, costs only $38,980 for out-of-state students during the same academic year.

It’s rational for SU to carve out long-term goals in an effort to improve the university and enhance student experience. The financial aid program at SU also has a budget of $255 million, according to the university. $40 million of Invest Syracuse funding is also dedicated to scholarships.

But in today’s era of massive college debt, a stark tuition hike will only turn students away from pursuing an academic career at SU — a reality that goes against the principles of Invest Syracuse itself.

Adam Friedman is junior broadcast and digital journalism and economics dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at arfri100@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @friedmanadam5.

Published on September 26, 2017 at 10:54 pm