President's forum highlights change

Tuition to raise 5.95 percent and Wellness Center fee to be added

This spring's semi-annual President's Forum addressed many of the topics that are currently making news, both across campus and in the community.

President Donald Bain led the forum, giving a review of everything that the College is currently doing to expand. In response to the plans for the law school that were announced last week, Bain said, "every oak starts with an acorn," and that there has been interest in getting a law school in Rochester for over 30 years.

"The downtown location will help the relationship between Rochester and the College, and it will encourage more people to go to law school," Bain said. "The logistics of people driving to Buffalo or Syracuse deterred people away from law school."

Bain also mentioned the nursing program in his commentary on Fisher expansion. He hopes to bring a doctorate program in nursing to Fisher, because "programs like this keep us viable and competitive."

Big announcements were made by Gerry Rooney, vice president of Enrollment; Ronald Ambrosetti, provost and Dean of the College and Tom O'Neil, vice president of Finance and Business.

Rooney spoke on enrollment at Fisher. According to Rooney, this semester, the College had more full-time undergraduate and doctoral-level students enrolled than any spring semester has. This is a continuing trend. It is expected that the total enrollment for the Fall 2008 semester will be the highest ever at Fisher, with 530 to 550 incoming freshmen and 250 students who are transfers or re-admitted.

Within his presentation, Ambrosetti introduced Mike McCarthy, director of Safety and Security at Fisher. McCarthy was pleased to announce that, "we have purchased a registry to an online notification system to be put into effect very soon." With this, students will be able to sign up, free of charge, to receive alerts via text message, voicemail and e-mail about emergencies on campus. McCarthy said that a campus-wide e-mail will be sent out shortly and that the service will be available to use come the fall semester.

O'Neil covered Fisher's 2009 budget assumptions, including topics like tuition, room and board and future on-campus projects.

Tuition will be raised 5.95 percent for the coming year, but O'Neil feels "we are in the middle of the pack as far as tuition increases go." Room and board is also expected to go up in the coming year. Also, a $55 fee will be added to undergraduate students' bills each semester for Wellness Center fees. This will begin next semester, as the Wellness Center has recorded increases in use and has added chiropractic services to its repertoire. However, while the cost of attendance will increase, benefits will be seen around campus. O'Neil announced that new laundry facilities are in the works, as well as a renovation for Lavery Library, in which it will get a new heating system and the entire front will be made-over, with new steps and archways.

O'Neil also commented on Fisher's recent contract with Lackmann dining services.

"I have to assure everybody that I think we made a wise decision," he said.

In follow up, O'Neil made mention of the bookstore bid, which is currently underway. He stated that Barnes and Noble, as well as two other companies have made presentations and that the Fisher community will know the future of the bookstore by June.

In conclusion, Bain commented on how everything Fisher is doing is all for one thing - the student.

"We are all dedicated to the mission of the College," Bain said. "Institutionally and personally, we're all working for the same thing, the student."

As published in the Cardinal Courier, St. John Fisher College, April 22, 2008.