YSU Some staff to pay insurance co-pay

Tuition rates will increase by 8 percent in 2004.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- All executive and administrative officers at Youngstown State University will begin paying 10 percent of their health-care insurance premiums beginning Jan. 1.
Currently, YSU pays the entire amount of premiums for all university employees.
The decision of Dr. David C. Sweet, university president, was announced Wednesday during a meeting of the YSU Board of Trustees.
"I think the executive staff has to lead by example," Sweet said. "There is a desire to constrain growth in our fringe benefits and, especially, health-care costs. This is just one part of an effort we will have under way."
The new policy applies to 19 nonunion staff, not including the president, and will save the university about $20,000 a year. These employees will pay $83 per month for a family plan and from $32 to $36 per month for single coverage. As such, annual costs to the employees will range between $384 and $996.
Sweet said his decision to institute the co-pay policy came after discussions with board members during a fall board retreat.
Another way of containing fringe benefit costs include negotiating with insurance providers, Sweet said. As a result, increases were lower than expected in one health-care policy. Another number that came in lower than expected is that for life insurance premiums.
Can't make union pay
Sweet cannot implement a policy that would force union employees on campus to contribute to their health-care premiums. Any such changes would have to be negotiated into union contracts.
Besides the health-care premium issues, university officials also announced that the salaries of 25 top university officers would increase by 3 percent, effective Jan. 1. Individual annual salary increases range from $2,225 to $4,326. The total annual cost of all salary increases will be $79,322.
In response to a budget crunch, salaries were frozen six months ago for all executive and administrative staff and other nonunion employees making more than $90,000. John Habat, vice president for administrative affairs, said the top administrators have not received a pay increase in 18 months.
He also said the university's revenue has come in $4.5 million higher than expected because of increased state funding and increased enrollment and tuition.
Habat said $500,000 of the additional funds went to the salary increases, combined with enrollment bonuses to workers in the Association of Classified Employees union, student wages and fringe benefits. He said other unexpected revenues will go to technology, a budget stabilization fund and to various departments.
Other action
Also on Wednesday, the board:
UGave final approval to two measures that will increase tuition by a total of 8 percent in fall 2004, a combination of a 6-percent tuition increase and a 2-percent technology fee increase. For a full-time undergraduate who is an Ohio resident, the annual tuition will rise from $5,448 to $5,884.
UGave final approval to a plan that will create a 400-student Early College High School on campus. Start-up costs for the school, a collaboration with the Youngstown school district, come from the KnowledgeWorks Foundation in Cincinnati. The school will allow underprivileged, minority students from Youngstown to graduate from the high school with up to two years of college credit or an associate degree.
UAuthorized an implementation plan for the $12 million Andrews Recreation and Wellness Center to be built on campus using funds from private donations. So far, more than $10 million has been raised. Groundbreaking is scheduled for March with construction to be complete by August 2005.