TO THE EDITOR:
UNC must define its primary academic goal as excellence in the eyes of its students and its peers. If, with reduced state appropriations, the administration has no recourse but to fire faculty and reduce course offerings, we, the undergraduate student body, will surely feel the effects.
Current dialogue holds that a lack of resources is responsible for UNC’s current and future academic shortcomings. Upon investigation, one finds that it is no surprise UNC feels a financial pinch. Compared to peers like the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan, UNC charges nearly $4,000 less per year to in-state students in tuition and fees. In addition, those universities respectively admit 31 percent and 34 percent out-of-state students, which contribute significantly higher revenue per capita and are, on average, better qualified.
UNC should therefore follow suit and substantially increase in-state tuition, as well as increase the number of out-of-state students admitted, while diverting increasing revenue to absolutely essential financial aid programs. Recognizing that the N.C. legislature limits out-of-state admissions to 18 percent and per annum tuition increases to 6.5 percent, the undergraduate student body should, in looking out for its best interests, ally with University administration in an appeal to increase or abolish those limits.
Austin Cooper
Freshman
Comparative Literature
