At its quarterly meeting today, the Board of Trustees of Coastal Carolina University made the decision not to increase in-state undergraduate tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year and, furthermore, to give all in-state resident students a $50 per semester credit on their tuition bill for the coming year.

This action by the board is the result of careful long-range planning by the University, according to CCU President David A. DeCenzo. “The reason we are in a position to maintain in-state tuition at its present rate and to administer this credit for our in-state students is because we cut $4 million from the University’s operating expenses during the past two years,” said DeCenzo. “We made the cuts at the direction of our board of trustees in order to operate more efficiently and keep tuition costs down.”

In-state undergraduate tuition will remain at its Fall 2011 cost—$4,880 per semester. Additionally, each resident in-state undergraduate student’s account will be credited $50 for both fall and spring semesters of the 2012-2013 academic year.

The board approved a $620 per semester increase for out-of-state undergraduate students, from $10,780 to $11,400 per semester.

Housing fees and meal fees will also remain at the 2011-2012 level.

In view of the uncertainty of the current climate of athletic conference affiliation, the board unanimously approved a motion authorizing the President and Director of Athletics to pursue and evaluate options and opportunities to protect the strategic interests and competitive stature of Chanticleer Athletics.

The board approved a motion to name the conference room in Atheneum Hall the “William H. Alford Conference Room” in honor of Alford, an alumnus and former board of trustees chairman.

The board also approved several lease agreements. The University will lease four parcels of campus real estate from the Coastal Educational Foundation so that the properties can be covered by the state insurance reserve fund. The University will also lease warehouse space in the Atlantic Center for University Housing storage.

A motion was also approved to begin negotiations with Horry County Schools for the lease of a site on campus to construct a building to house the Scholars Academy. The project fulfills a previous agreement that part of the penny tax would be used to fund a joint-use facility for CCU and Horry County Schools. The building will be owned by Horry County Schools, which will lease the land from CCU for $1 per year with an initial term of 50 years.

The board also approved a motion to increase funding for the proposed Science Annex II building from $14 million to $25 million in order to include the addition of a third floor.

The board approved emeritus status for retiring faculty members Stephen Sheel, distinguished professor, and Susan Slavik, emeritus professor.

The board also approved recommendations for faculty promotions and tenure. Five faculty members have been promoted from associate professor to professor: Dennis Edwards, Arne Flaten, Kay Keels, Michael Latta and Pamela Martin.

Eight faculty members have been promoted to associate professor with tenure: Monica Bell, Jennifer Boyle, Erin Burge, Dennis Earl, Preston McKever-Floyd, Julinna Oxley, Tonya Propst and Cynthia Port. Carol Megehee has been awarded tenure.