“The University of Akron board of trustees instituted a tuition increase and welcomed a new member. Wednesday, the board of trustees approved a 3.5 percent increase in tuition and general fees for undergraduates and a 6 percent increase for law students. The increase begins May 15.”
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The University of Akron board of trustees instituted a tuition increase and welcomed a new member.

Wednesday, the board of trustees approved a 3.5 percent increase in tuition and general fees for undergraduates and a 6 percent increase for law students. The increase begins May 15.

The board does not anticipate any further increases in tuition or fees will be recommended for the fall 2010 or spring 2011 academic semesters.

UA’s increase is in line with other public universities in Ohio – all of which are permitted to raise tuition 3.5 percents for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years.

Cleveland attorney Nicholas C. York attended the University of Akron monthly trustees meeting Wednesday. The board oversees the operations of a tax-supported university.

York, 42, replaces Jack Morrison Jr. on the board. Morrison was removed from the board last year after being convicted of two ethic misdemeanors.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland appointed York to serve the remaining four years of Morrison’s nine-year term.

Tuesday, the governor’s office contacted him about serving on the trustee board.

”I think they knew of my interest in educational issues. I’ve discussed that with the governor on different occasions,” York said, as reported by the Beacon.

York’s appointment differs from the other members that serve on the board. All other members have ties to the University of Akron in some way; some have earned degrees from the University or take part in campus organizations.

York earned his bachelor degree in political science at Ohio University and his law degree from Capital University.

He is a partner in the Cleveland Tucker Ellis & West LLP, where he represents a ”wide variety of clients in administrative, litigation and corporate matters,” according to his resume.

As reported by the Akron Beacon Journal, he said he knew about the ”great work

that’s been going on at the university for the last 10 years” but not a lot of details. ”It’s a new challenge,” he said.

The 2009-2010 board of trustees is comprised of nine governor-appointed members and two students advisors. Currently, two women serve on the board. A recent study by the Cornell Higher Education research institute concludes having women on college and university boards of trustees makes a difference in terms of the number of female faculty the school hires.

The governor’s recent appointment further tints the trustee board blue. With York’s appointment four members of the board are Democrats and five are Republicans. Republican, Akron attorney Philip Kaufmann’s term expires in December.

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