At its meeting April 11–12, the University of Colorado Board of Regents approved tuition, fee and compensation proposals as part of the 2024–25 budget, which will be finalized in June.

The board also briefly discussed campus concealed carry and public statement policies, approved several major construction and renovation projects, and recognized new distinguished professors.

Tuition, fees and compensation

The board voted to approve tuition, fee and compensation portions of the fiscal year 2024–25 budget. Key aspects of the budget proposal include the following.

Tuition rate changes

• A 3% tuition increase for incoming resident undergraduate students. The 2023–24 tuition rate for a resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 credit hours was $11,976 per year.
• A 4% tuition increase for incoming nonresident undergraduate students. The 2023–24 tuition rate for a nonresident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 credit hours was $40,320 per year.
  • Because of CU Boulder’s tuition guarantee, only new students, not continuing undergraduates who will complete their degrees in four years, will experience a tuition increase.
• A 3% tuition increase for graduate students.

Student fees

• Housing and dining: A 5% increase in residence hall fees, 2.8% increase in Bear Creek apartment fees and 3% increase in graduate and family housing fees.
• Student activity fee: A 2.4% increase (to $419.76 per semester).
• Mental health resource fee: A 10.3% increase (to $107.40 per semester).
• Career services fee: A 16.7% increase (to $14 per semester).
• Graduate and professional student government: A 34% increase (to $15.57 per semester). 
• Transit and bike program fees: No increase, but fees will now be combined to support all campus transportation needs ($101.18 per semester).

Undergraduate students’ combined mandatory fee increase at CU Boulder will be $44 per year, or 2.7%.

Compensation expectations

• A 4% increase pool for university staff, faculty and graduate students on appointment. Details on how the 4% increase pool will be applied will be available later this spring.
• A 3% across-the-board pay increase for classified staff as determined by the state of Colorado.

The 2024–25 budget proposal also will include increased funding for institutional financial aid and mandatory operating costs, as well as ongoing support for the Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative and compensation initiatives designed to attract top faculty.

The tuition, fees and compensation plans all passed, with Regent Mark VanDriel opposed to the tuition rate changes and compensation plans, and Regent Frank McNulty opposed to the student fee plan.

Next year, the campus is projecting a 0.5% enrollment increase, or about 200 additional students. The 2024–25 fiscal year begins July 1, 2024.

Weapons control, public statements and other policies

The board briefly discussed proposed changes to campus concealed carry policies, with plans to discuss further at the University Affairs Committee meeting on June 4 and the full board meeting on June 20–21.

Regent Wanda James has proposed banning the concealed carry of handguns on campuses, and Regent Frank McNulty spoke briefly in opposition of a ban. The regents heard public comments Thursday from nine speakers requesting the regents prohibit concealed carry on all University of Colorado campuses.

The board also unanimously reaffirmed its policy on public statements, clarifying that the CU Board of Regents and, through delegated authority, the CU system president and chancellors are the only parties authorized to issue public statements about social or political concerns on behalf of the university. 

All faculty governance bodies, however, may speak on behalf of the associated faculty without being viewed as speaking on behalf of the university. Faculty governance bodies may communicate their deliberations and decisions, including resolutions and commentary on matters of social or political concern adopted in accordance with Faculty Senate rules and processes.

Regents also received a notice of motion indicating future action will be forthcoming on several other regent policies, including policies related to free expression; finance, university affairs and audit committees; officer appointments and evaluations of the University and Officers of the Administration; faculty grievance; intellectual property protections and commercialization; educational material as intellectual property; and more..

Campus construction projects

Regents approved plans for a new, 79,200-square-foot chemistry and applied math building on the southeast side of the Business Field at CU Boulder. The building will include research labs, offices, classrooms, a 200-seat auditorium, student study areas and a roof terrace. It also is slated to include a nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic core facility.

The project is estimated to cost $175.43 million and is expected to be completed in late 2026 or early 2027. 

The board also approved a plan to renovate 10,500 square feet within the Koelbel Building for the Leeds School of Business. The project will modernize three, second-floor suites to improve student study and gathering space, administrative offices and student advising areas. The $9.5 million project is scheduled to begin this summer and conclude by January 2025.

Regents also approved plans for renovations to the Ekeley Sciences building. The renovations will modernize teaching laboratories and classrooms and add student study spaces. Renovation is expected to begin in January 2025 and conclude in January 2026. The project is expected to cost $33.5 million. 

Other business

The board also:

• Heard public comments denouncing physician training using live animals and heard from several speakers on the Israel-Gaza conflict.
• Approved 72 sabbaticals for CU Boulder faculty.
• Approved a new bachelor of arts degree in public health at CU Boulder.
• Approved changes to the system Faculty Housing Assistance Program to increase the loan amounts available to tenure and tenure-track faculty to $130,000 or 25% of the home sale price, whichever is less, effective July 1, 2024.
• Approved changes to Regent Policy 2.C.1 (Committee Governing Principles) and 2.C.2 (Governance Committee).
• Received an update on the CU system strategic plan pillar focused on “discovery and impact.” As of Feb. 29, CU Boulder has garnered $477.4 million in research awards and gifts this fiscal year. The campus goal for 2026 is $800 million. Regents and campus representatives met in breakout groups to discuss research successes and strategies for improvement.
• Honored four new distinguished professors from the CU Boulder campus: Brian Argrow, Marie Banich, Shemin Ge and Dragan Maksimovic.

The next regular meeting will be held June 20–21 in Pueblo, Colorado.