The University has received 14,000 applications for approximately 3,400 spaces in the freshman class. “That’s more than four applicants for every opening,” Sorensen said. “It’s very gratifying to see that level of interest throughout the state.”

The president said that he, Provost Odom, members of the Board of Trustees, and Rick Kelly, the University’s chief financial officer will meet soon to determine the amount of a tuition increase for 2003–04. To meet the $61 million in cuts the University has taken this year and will take next fiscal year, tuition would have to be increase by 70 percent.

“Clearly, we’re not going to do that,” Sorensen said. “It’s also clear that we can’t take cuts of this magnitude and not have a modest tuition increase.”

Sorensen will propose to the Board of Trustees a bracket tuition policy for next academic year. Students taking from 12 to 16 hours would pay the same tuition fee. Students taking 17 hours or more would pay $80 per credit hour. The change would help prevent students from “shopping” for classes: taking more than a full load and then dropping classes they didn’t like.

Scouts looking at potential locations for presidential debates in 2004 will be on campus May 21. USC is on of 14 locations being considered for a debate. Sites chosen for debates will have to pay $750,000 for the support required to broadcast the nationally televised program.

“One hundred percent of that money will come from private sources,” Sorensen said. “We will not use one dollar of state or University money.”

Responding to a question about the possibility of merging the College of Science and Mathematics and the College of Liberal Arts, Sorensen said he has asked Provost Odom to look at “possible ways to organize more efficiently to have fewer administrators.”

In his report, Odom said he has formed a search committee for a vice president of research and health sciences. The new position will replace two other vice presidents: the vice president for medical affairs and the vice president for research. Odom, who is chair of the committee, said he hopes to have applications in by July 1 and have candidates in for interviews by early September.

The May Faculty Senate meeting followed the General Faculty Meeting. The next Faculty Senate meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. June 25 in the Law School Auditorium.

05/03