Board approves room,

board rate increases

By Anthony McConnell

Trail Editor

The Northwest College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a four percent increase in fees paid to Aramark, the college’s food service provider, on Monday, Dec. 11. Of the four percent, students will pay three percent and the college will pick up the remaining one percent.
When compared to the increases in food service fees other colleges around the state are seeing, “four percent is pretty minimal,” said Director of Residential and Campus Life Dee Havig.
The board also approved a $10 per semester increase in housing rates for all five residence halls and a $10 per month increase for Trapper Village West. The rates for the Trapper Village Main apartments will remain the same.
According to Havig, the rate hike follows a three-year rate freeze, in which all room and apartment rates remained unchanged.
The college decided on smaller rate increases over the course of a few years rather than a cumulative large increase to lessen the burden on students and their families, said Havig. All of the rate increases will go into effect for the 2007-08 academic year.
Also on the agenda at Monday’s meeting was the swearing in of new board members Carolyn Danko and John Housel and recently re-elected Jim Vogt. Former NWC trustee and now Judge Steve Cranfill presided over the swearing in. Following the induction, the Board elected its officers for the year. Board president Jim Vogt of Powell was re-elected, Mark Westerhold was elected vice president and secretary and Marty Coe was elected treasurer.
After the elections, NWC president Miles LaRowe presented a photo to Judge Cranfill for his service to the college. Cranfill left the board earlier this year when he was appointed district judge.
“I worked hard to get on this board and it was worth it,” said Cranfill, who ran for the seat four times before being elected in 2002. “It’s a great school keep it up.”