A proposal for a 5 percent increase in room prices and a 1.2 percent increase in dining prices is on its way to the Board of Regents for approval after an overwhelming vote in its favor by the Residence Hall Student Association (RHSA) General Council.
UW Housing and Food Services’ (HFS) increased rate proposal passed with the votes of 24 of 25 Hall Council Representatives. All 29 residents present voted in its favor.
HFS sent an email earlier this month informing residents in residence halls and single-student apartments of proposed increases to housing rates and dining charges for next year. The proposal reflects a 5.5 percent rise from current rates for almost all room types. All dining levels will also experience an increase of 1.2 percent from this year’s rates.
Housing rates have been raised every year since 2002, with the increases fluctuating between 3.3 percent for single-student apartments in 2002–03 and 6.4 percent for both residence halls and apartments in 2010–11.
“We evaluate and develop a new fiscal budget early each year with the idea of trying to maintain current operations,” HFS Director Pamela Schreiber said. “We feel very strongly that certain services and programs are an important part of the experience that students in residence should have access to.”
The 5.5 percent adjustment in housing rates comprises different factors, including a 2 percent increase for the Housing Master Plan that includes the construction of new residence halls, a 2.3 percent rise in labor costs, and a 1.7 percent upturn in utilities costs.
Schreiber said there is no decrease in services or operations.
An annual 2 percent rise for the Housing Master Plan has been in place since the 2008–09 academic year. It helps set up a plan for building and renovating residence halls while ensuring HFS has a large enough reserve fund balance for loan requirements.
The 2.3 percent rise in labor is due to the step increases system that raises contractual staff’s salaries every year and to Washington’s increased minimum-wage requirements.
Four-person rooms in Cedar Apartments will experience a 3.3 percent rise in housing rates because they are the most expensive and newest residence on campus.
“We’re trying to seek a dollar increase for Cedar that’s similar to other room types,” Schreiber said.
Labor costs, along with food-price inflation and fuel charges, initially led to a 5.6 percent upturn in all dining levels for residents. However, HFS was able to alleviate some of the increases by switching to a new local dairy and pasta program.
“The result is a lower 1.2 percent rise in dining rates, which covers pure labor charges,” RHSA President Nathaniel Block said.
HFS plans to continue to offer residents an incentive amount, which is an additional amount deposited into a student’s account that raises the value of the account for each dining level except for the returning residents’ level.
“The incentive value was adopted this academic year based on student responses,” Block said. “It allows residents to spend more than they pay and allows HFS to serve residents better while ensuring their satisfaction.”
HFS is self-sustaining — which is a typical model for a public university — and only students living in residence pay for housing and dining, Schreiber said.
“I think HFS is not getting a cut from state funding because it’s self-sustaining,” RHSA representative Heather Jech said. “Though we’re not receiving as much for housing, the money’s going to classes and tuition.”
Director of Hansee Hall Anthony Castanza agreed, saying that by allowing HFS to self-run housing and food services, the university can manage its own budget and focus on academics and tuition for students.
Schreiber said one of the measures that HFS has implemented over the years to minimize costs while maintaining established programs includes building its own IT software systems, which has saved $79,000.
Jerry Cheng, assistant director of representation at Hansee Hall, said increased rates shouldn’t deter new students from applying to the university if they look at the big picture.
“UW ranks the fourth-lowest compared to other Pac-12 universities when it comes to housing costs and second-lowest with both its dining and housing plans combined,” he said.
The Board of Regents will vote March 8 on the proposed rates before they can be incorporated into next year’s housing and dining plans.
Reach contributing writer Anh Huynh at development@dailyuw.com.
Comments
dportjoe 3 months, 1 week ago
There is a factual error in the story. Not every employee gets those step raises, only the most recently hired (and thus lowest paid). Long term employees 'top out and receive raises ONLY when an across the board cost of living raise is negotiated.
In as much as no such raises have been granted for the last two contracts (2009-11. 2011-13) this is not a mega issue. Also if HFS hires a worker at a step above the lowest one, the step increases are delayed. The salary ranges for folks like food workers and custodians are easily found on the UW's own webiste or at WFSE.ORG under the contracts tab. While we do a bit better than some folks working private sector-we are far from wealthy.
I would think though that concerned students (and any parents helping pay) would want to have an accounting of just how much money goes for the 'tip of the spear' (the food workers, res hall staff, custodians, department IT etc) and how much goes for admin overhead (associate directors, departmental H.R. etc)
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