Undergraduate in-state tuition could rise by almost $4,000 in the next two years from this year’s levels, UA President Robert Shelton told the Faculty Senate last night.

Shelton, responding to questions about potential tuition increases being considered by the Arizona Board of Regents, said that although tuition is unlikely to rise as high as it has in the University of California school system, it could go up to $9,920 annually by 2012. The board will set tuition levels for the 2010-11 academic year at their March meeting.

The tuition increase is necessary to partially compensate for the $100 million in cuts to state funding the UA has received in the last two years, Shelton said, although he added that even this increase only fill about half of that hole.

Speculating on whether the UA will see further cuts from state funding next year, Shelton said that although federal maintenance of effort requirements prohibit the state from cutting the university’s funding below 2006 levels, state legislators might apply for an exemption to this rule — although Gov. Jan Brewer has said she will oppose this move.

“”These are high-stakes games,”” Shelton said. “”I don’t think we can take anything for granted.””

Regent candidates picked, bill delayed

Associated Students of the University of Arizona President Chris Nagata informed the Faculty Senate that three candidates have been selected for the open student regent position on the Arizona Board of Regents. Gov. Brewer will ultimately appoint one of these students to the position.

The students are: Taylor Bell, a first-year law student, William Holmes, an economics junior, and Cheyenne Walsh, a first-year law student.

Graduate and Professional Student Council President David Talenfeld informed the senate that presentation to the Senate of a graduate student statement of rights will be delayed until at least the senate’s February meeting pending further revision in GPSC subcommittee.

Advice for ‘fiscal cliff’

At the request of Chair of the Faculty Wanda Howell, Chair of the Strategic Planning and Budget Advisory Committee Lynn Nadel updated the Senate on the work of the newly-formed Strategic 2012 committee, a special group formed to discuss university priorities and gather “”collective wisdom”” on budget decisions in preparation for the 2012 “”fiscal cliff,”” after which the university will cease to receive federal stimulus dollars.

Responding to a question on whether administrators would be held to the advice of the committee, Nadel said while he was confident the advice of the committee would be taken very seriously it is ultimately up to the president and provost to make budget decisions.

“”They are the decision-makers. To do anything else is chaos,”” Nadel said.