The Eastern Michigan University Board of Regents approved an overall increase of 4 percent to the rates of university residence halls and apartments and a 1.5 percent increase to rates of meal plans for the 2016-17 academic year at the Board's regular meeting Tuesday in Welch Hall.
A cost of a residence hall double room will range from $4,108 to $5,296, depending on the facility. The platinum 19-meals-a-week plan will cost $4,983.
More than 3,800 students live on campus, up from 3,240 in 2010. The university has 12 residence halls and four apartment complexes.
Geoff Larcom, EMU executive director of media relations, said in a statement that a central element of the growth is EMU's commitment to upgrading residence halls and dining facilities in a “fiscally responsible manner.”
Larcom said the rate increase will allow Housing and Residence Life and Dining Services to still function with the increased cost of food and supplies while also dealing with deferred maintenance expenses and essential updates and renovations to EMU's housing and dining facilities.
EMU's auxiliary budget, which is paid for by housing and dining fees, funds the residence hall and dining improvements.
According to the university, one of the current projects is the $2 million update to Wise Hall. The hall will reopen next fall. EMU also renovated Best Hall for $2.2 million in the summer of 2013. Hoyt Hall was renovated for $1.8 million in 2012.
Phelps, Sellers, Putnam and Walton Hall all received new windows and stairways and the three tower residence halls received renovated interiors and offices. The Brown-Munson apartment complex offices were also upgraded.
Campus-wide improvements include the installation of residence hall ID card readers and more than 700 cameras.
