The Board of Control approved the 2013-2014 general fund budget Tuesday which includes tuition costs and fees.

Overall cost will be $280.75 per credit hour for Michigan undergrads, an increase of $10.10 per credit hour. The cost is made up of a tuition rate and two mandatory fees.

The tuition rate will be $266.15 per credit alongside mandatory fees of $3.85 per credit hour for technologies and $10.75 per credit hour for general service.

The general services include per-credit-hour fees of $1.70 for parking facilities, $0.60 for Student Association, $0.25 for Program Board, $0.17 for publications such as The Valley Vanguard and Cardinal Sins, $7.70 for facility debt services and $0.33 for first aid facilities.

The financial aid budget has increased 8 percent, seeing an additional $158,000.

Other reasons for the increase reflect inflation costs and decreased projected enrollment per credit hour.

“We prepare for the budget beginning in September,” President Eric Gilbertson said. “From there, it’s massaged along the way.”

Also:
—Michigan undergrads’ professional program courses increased by $13.90 per credit hour to $371.25.

—Michigan graduates’ courses increased by $17.90 per credit hour to $481.70.

—Michigan Doctorate courses increased by $35.60 per credit hour to $972.30.

—Fees such as graduation, application and annual athletic season passes will remain the same.

—Fees such as study abroad, orientation for incoming freshman and the SVSU cardinal and graduate payment plans enrollment will increase by $30, $5 and $5, respectively.

The university will have also have an increase of state funding by 1.3 percent, seeing $326,000 more than in the 2012 to 2013 fiscal year.

Despite increases, SVSU will remain the most inexpensive public institution in the state of Michigan.

“We’re the lowest and will be,” Gilbertson said.

Gilbertson, who has led Saginaw Valley State University since 1989 and is its longest-serving president, announced his resignation at today’s Board of Control meeting.

Gilbertson is the longest serving leader among Michigan’s current public university presidents.

“This has been in the works for some time,” Gilbertson said. “You can’t stop time and change.”

Gilbertson will remain president until a successor is determined.

The Board will establish a committee to seek candidates, a process that can take months, said Board of Control Chairperson Dave Abbs.

“I suspect I’ll certainly be here through the fall semester,” Gilbertson said.

His successor will have a “very solid senior staff” to help with the transition, according to Gilbertson.

His 17-person staff includes Provost Don Bachand, who joined the university staff in 1978, and Ombudsman Richard Thompson, who joined in 1970.

When he steps down, Gilbertson said he will take a six-month sabbatical and spend more time being a grandfather. Gilbertson has two children and five grandchildren.

Afterward, he will return to the university teaching full time, which includes his constitutional law course.

“I started out as a college professor” Gilbertson said. “And I’ve been teaching regularly as president.”

Abbs said he was impressed the president had been around for nearly half of the university’s existence, which was founded in 1963.

The Board accepted his intent to retire from the presidency and thanked him for “exemplary service.”

“Our students, alumni, faculty and staff, and our region have benefited greatly from his leadership,” Abbs said.

Gilbertson succeeds presidents Samuel Marble (1964-1974) and Jack Ryder (1974-1989).

Before his time as SVSU president, he served as president at Johnson State College in Vermont.

Under his presidency at SVSU, enrollments increased 85 percent starting with 5,915 students.

Since 1989, campus tripled in size, adding 1.5 million square feet of building space.

His presidency saw the construction of West Complex, Founders Hall, the Bell Tower, Amphitheater, Living Centers and more.

Gilbertson works closely with the Roberts Fellowship program and often travels to Asia to work with the Roberts Fellows studying global leadership.

Gilbertson declined to say what his biggest accomplishments were as president.

“You’re never a good judge of your own effectiveness,” he said.

Gilbertson said he did not imagine he would be at the university as long as he was.

He said he had several opportunities to take other positions throughout the years, but said he was “having too much fun” at SVSU.

“This is home,” Gilbertson said. “I love this job.”

Kathy and Richard Verlander, parents of the 2011 MVP of the year award and Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and recently signed Tigers draft pick Ben Verlander, discussed lessons from their book, “Rocks Across the Pond.”

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) sponsored the program. OLLI, established in 2001 at the university, is a membership-based program that holds non-credit classes, trips and other functions.

Vanguard photo | Tyler Bradley

Richard Verlander tells how he and his wife, Kathy, raised their children to dream big and keep in control as part of the OLLI-sponsored event Thursday.

Its membership is close to 1,600 participants.

Members of OLLI, students, staff and other community members attended the free public event.

One of the ways the Verlander parents feel their children achieved successes was through their mentors.

“Justin was fidgety. He was a real handful,” Richard said. “We didn’t get the best feeling coming from parent-teacher conferences.”

Marion Kramer, Justin’s second-grade teacher, put confidence in him and told him he’d be something special one day. Justin suddenly improved.

While in the Little Leagues at age 15, Justin had his control issues reemerge.

He had several issues with walking baseball players to the point other families would label him.

“No matter what background you’re from, everyone has their challenges,” Richard said.

To fix this, his coach, Bob Smith, called on Justin to save the team in a championship game, in which Justin did.

“I knew he had to focus,” Richard recalled Smith saying. “He had the opportunity to show confidence in himself.”

Richard said he looks back at those two mentors as big game-changers in Justin’s life.

Control also relates to success, Richard said.

“Control has a lot to do with baseball and the ability to throw different pitches,” Richard said. “In life, it’s the same as self discipline. I’ve seen a lot of people who lack control.”

According to Richard, 95 percent of success is within an individual’s control.

He said showing up on time, working hard, staying late, fitness, demeanor and attitude all relate to success and are things people can control.

Character is also important in success, Richard said.

When scouts were looking at Justin, many would talk to the Verlanders’ neighbors asking if there were any beer cans in the yard when his parents were away. They wanted to know what he was like when nobody was watching, Richard said.

When Justin was six, he started bragging to people at a tee-ball game.

Afterwards, his parents reminded him to be humble and to avoid having a big head.

It’s what you do with your success that’s important, Richard said.

Balance, along with character and control, is also important, according to Kathy.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff,” Kathy said. “Before Justin, our lawn was nice, and laundry was done on time. Once Justin started traveling, it went to hell in a hand basket.”

She said the time spent together as a family became most important.

The Verlanders made a weekly effort to have a family dinner at Justin and Ben’s grandparents, in which they enjoyed a novelty named food, “Chicken McGrandmas.”

The Verlanders continue to spend as much family time as they can together today.

On Tuesday, June 18, The Board of Control will vote on the general fund operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

“It’s the assumption [tuition] is in the president’s control,” President Eric Gilbertson said.

The Board actually sets tuition rates.

The Board also reserves authority for functions that include establishing or discontinuing degree programs, majors or intercollegiate athletic programs; establishing compensation for the president and vice presidents; and approving the student judicial code and the Student Association constitution.

Ten years ago, tuition rates were set at $139.60 per credit hour for Michigan undergrads.

For the 2012-2013 academic year, that rate has nearly doubled at $256.05 per credit hour for Michigan undergrads.

“Our budget is complicated,” Gilbertson said. “There are several budgets that are restricted on what it can be used for.”

The university’s budget is separated into auxiliary, capital, foundation and general funding budgets.

“We can’t take from the foundation and use the money for library books,” Gilbertson said, explaining the restrictions of the budgets.

The auxiliary budget features costs such as housing, dining and other services that receive revenue outside of tuition.

Capital involves building constructions and renovations.

The foundation budget offers scholarships to students.

The general fund budget is what Gilbertson refers to as “the guts of the university’s operations.”

The university operates on a $200 million operation cost with $125 million coming from the general fund budget.

It involves the faculty salaries, operational costs and lab equipment among other items.

Nearly 70 percent of the general fund costs go toward personnel budget, according to Gilbertson.

“We’re a labor-intensive kind of organization,” Gilbertson said.

The university operates on a fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends June 30.

Throughout the years, money received through the state government in state appropriations has decreased.

In 1993, 54 percent of the general fund revenue was provided by the state and 42 percent with tuition and fees.

This past year, 22 percent of the general fund revenue was provided by the state and 76 percent through tuition and fees, making students pay more for their education.

This year marks the first year since before 2003 that the state increased appropriations per student.

The tuition increase cap set by the state legislature is 3.75 percent. If the university increases tuition at a higher rate than that rate, legislature will take money from the university.

Even with an increase at the cap rate, the university will likely remain the most inexpensive public university in the state.

Last fiscal year, SVSU fell in at an $8,120 estimated tuition based on full time credits. A tuition increase at the cap rate would put tuition at $8,424, a difference of $342 if Northern Michigan University does not increase its tuition costs.

The average cost among all Michigan public universities for tuition last fiscal year was $10,766 with Michigan Tech University being the highest at $14,448.

Among other items on the Board of Control’s agenda, members will also vote on a Student Association charter, the establishment of public school academies, faculty promotions and tenures and the emeritus statuses of nine individuals.

This spring and summer, 13 faculty-led groups of students traveled abroad, visiting places like Costa Rica, England, Germany, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Nepal, Senegal, Spain and Taiwan.

In 2012-2013, a total of 163 students participated in faculty-led study abroad programs, which is a 15.6 percent increase from last year.

SVSU’s study abroad program allows students to travel internationally, gain a wider perspective and participate in an experience that has for years opened doors and peaked interests in global cultures.

With less than 2 percent of students traveling abroad, the program offers an opportunity for students to create deep and personal connections with the places they visit.

Students Nathan Phillips, Dan Skutt and Jari Wilson all recently participated in study abroad programs. Wilson spent an entire semester in Costa Rica, returning in April, while Phillips and Skutt returned in June and May, respectively, on two separate faculty-led trips to England.

For them, the experience was life-changing.

“I’ve always wanted to travel to the UK and jumped at the opportunity. I would most definitely go again. Learning in the classroom is wonderful, but reading about St. Paul’s Cathedral and touring St. Paul’s Cathedral are two different things,” Phillips said.

“I really enjoyed being able to see and learn about a new culture,” Skutt said. “I think it is important to learn about the history of a culture other than your own.”

“Studying abroad was the best decision of my whole life,” Wilson said. “I would have got to experience a part of the world I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

Phillips said learning abroad is much different than learning in a classroom because it allows students to break away from their usual customs.

Wilson said spending a semester away was rewarding because she got to take classes in both Spanish and in English.

“(The experience) helped me grow and evolve as a person,” she said.

With each study abroad trip, students get to visit new places.

Phillips said, “As a literature major, seeing the bedrock of many literary figures, their birthplaces, colleges, and graves was extremely exciting.”

They were able to visit museums and take day trips. Wilson said that in Costa Rica, the group she went with took weekend trips, visiting beaches, a rain forest and “climbing down a waterfall.”

Skutt said traveling abroad is very important for students because it helps them realize there is “something else out there.”

“They learn what to expect,” he said.

Rebecca Griffin, coordinator of the study abroad program, said that they have seen a growing interest in the program.

“It is a great chance for adventure, professional development and a way to meet new people,” she said.

Studying abroad is also a great resume builder, as it can show future employers that the student can expand their horizons.

The restaurants are set to open in Cardinal View, the mini-mall structure on Pierce Road, sometime in September.

Three of the businesses have already signed leases, while the fourth lease is expected to be completed in the near future.

One of the restaurants is T-Dubs, a restaurant that features pizza and wings. There is already a T-Dubs location in Frankenmuth.

Kochville Township Downtown Development Authority Director Steve King said he is excited about T-Dubs’ inclusion in the mini-mall.

“It’s got kind of a cult following in Frankenmuth,” he said. “That (has) stirred up quite an excitement in Kochville Township.”

Another restaurant is The DoggHauze, which specializes in different types of hot dogs. Food such as smoothies, fries and chicken fingers will also be on the menu.

A third restaurant, Bangkok Peppers, offers Thai cuisine and currently has locations in Grand Blanc and Fenton.

The fourth new business is Common Grind, a coffee shop and deli.

John Leuenberger, managing member of the Cardinal View, said restaurants are so interested in the mini-mall because of its location.

“What these businesses are doing is finding out that there’s a real need for students to have a place to walk,” he said. “Everybody is selling something different. There are no duplicates.”

The DoggHauze, T-Dubs, Bangkok Peppers and Common Grind will join Yogurt Yeti and JR’s All-Star Haircuts for Men in the mini-mall.

Leuenberger said the restaurants are aiming to open Sept. 1, but should all be open by the end of September.

Since the restaurants are located within walking distance from SVSU’s campus, the businesses will be keeping their audience in mind.

“Everybody’s going to be price-conscious to gear everything to students,” Leuenberger said. “The food should be very good.”

The mini-mall was a result of collaboration between investors and the township government to connect SVSU with the local community.

“It’s a really, really big deal for the community to see a development up there,” King said. “The community wants it to be something cool for everybody, because that will stand the test of time.”

Construction of a second phase of Cardinal View will be discussed after all of the current leases are filled.

Leuenberger is pleased with how the mini-mall is beginning to fill up.

“To have (a building) three-quarters full is unheard of in this economy,” he said.

King has high expectations for the success of the mini-mall.

“Hopefully it’ll be a fun hangout place for SVSU, but also the broader area,” King said. “Hopefully we are building the first step towards that.”

According to King, reactions to Cardinal View have been positive.

“We’ve gotten good reviews and impressions from people at Township Hall, so they must be doing something right down there.”

Five out of eight freshmen “SOAR” orientations have taken place so far this summer.

The daylong-required orientation helps acquaint new Cardinals with the university.

Students are placed in groups of 12 or 13 and stick with them and their orientation leader throughout the day.

They register for classes, speak with advisers, have lunch and learn about campus involvement.

Rachel Florence-Spaetzel, director of orientation programs, said it’s important for freshmen to know about everything the university has to offer.

“It lets them know that class is important and you should go to class, but there’s so much more to be experienced here,” Florence-Spaetzel said.

A student panel discussion is also part of the orientation. A faculty panel existed in the past, but Florence-Spaetzel said she thinks freshmen can really learn from the experience of current students.

Advice is given to freshmen, such as how to read a syllabus and where the best study locations are.

Anasjia Harris, a pre-nursing freshman, said the panel made her feel more at ease about starting college.

“It made me understand more about classes and time management,” Harris said.

Students also participate in “connect time,” which was a new addition to SOAR last year and proved to be beneficial.

It gives freshmen a chance to speak with orientation leaders, some faculty and staff as well as each other.

Florence-Spaetzel said she thinks this is one of the most important parts of the day.

“What I want more than anything is for them to leave with a connection to somebody they can reach out to if they need more information or help,” Florence-Spaetzel said.

A new addition to the program is an Instagram picture contest.

Groups take as imaginative photos as they can think of and post them on Instagram with the hashtag #svsoar13. Prizes go to the best groups at the end of the day.

Accounting freshman Stephen Poppe said the overall SOAR experience made him more comfortable to come back in the fall.

“It’s definitely a good way to get a jumpstart on building connections with your fellow freshmen class,” Poppe said.

He said he plans to contact some of the people he met at SOAR once he’s back on campus.

After the freshmen completed their orientation they took a survey with an i-clicker, which is another new feature this year.

Florence-Spaetzel said she is extremely happy with the overwhelmingly positive response from students.

Ninety-eight percent of students agree or strongly agree that their orientation leader was friendly.

Florence-Spaetzel said the orientation leaders are what make the orientation successful.

“They really represent SVSU well,” she said.

Ninety-four percent of students agree or strongly agree that SOAR made them more confident about college as well as more excited to be an SVSU student.

Ninety-four also rated their overall orientation experience as excellent, great or good.

Berry is relatively new to the SVSU community, having been hired as a residential director not long ago, but she has wholeheartedly embraced the university’s drive for student success.

Berry said that she found the new position on the SVSU website.

She said that she is more than confident to take on being the head of this program and feels that there are a lot of similarities between the two positions.

“The biggest similarity is taking care of the students,” Berry said. “Being a resource and advocate and being there to talk if they need it.”

So it is not so much that her work is changing, but rather the student population she’s working with.

“Before, I only knew if my residents were veterans if they told me,” she said. “Now everyone I work with will be affiliated with the military in some way.”

Another change is that Berry is now head of this program instead of one member of a group.

“When you’re a director, you have to have a vision,” she said. “I decide our priorities and how we can be most effective. I have to make plans. Before, I carried the plans out.”

Director of Residential Life, Michele Gunkelman, is equally confident in Berry’s abilities.

“She’s working with a completely different student population now with different needs,” Gunkelman said. “She’s the director now and she’s going to be fantastic.”

Gunkelman and Residential Life are also serving on the search committee for Berry’s replacement.

“We’re in the review process right now,” Gunkelman said. “And it is a national search.”

She explained that after the review process is complete, interviewees will be invited for phone and then personal interviews to meet with Gunkelman, Merry Jo Brandimore and other residential directors.

And even after a replacement is hired, Berry is still committed to her old colleagues and students.

“The students never fail to surprise you,” she said. “And you can’t imagine how they’re going to impact your life in such a positive way. I will always be there for old and new residents.”

Berry’s wants everyone to feel like they have an advocate and someone to connect with.

“I’d really like to thank Residential Life for their time and support and my colleagues and students and RA’s. It’s a great group of people and a great department. They made the last eighteen months pretty awesome and I’m really going to miss them.”

From 12-2 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from June 4 to August 1, the Healthy U summer exercise program, “Just Move It!,” will be offering  double exercise points to all participants.

The Healthy U program is an incentive-based program that keeps to the goal of supporting a healthier SVSU, which means implementing a work site wellness program and promoting a culture of fitness to SVSU employees.

Wellness intern and exercise science senior Caitlin Mazurek said that being active helps the body stay healthy and keeps down stress.

“We just want them to get out there and keep moving,” she said.

Participants are encouraged to come out to the courtyard by the Leaping Gazelle Fountain or Ryder Center Recreation Desk and sign in. Mazurek said to earn the points, participants must walk, jog, do a sport or participate in a fitness class for at least a half hour.

“They can always use the walking trails,” she said. “And often we see them come out on their lunch break.”

Along with the double exercise points, participants who attend at least nine days will be eligible to receive a visor, 15 days will get a choice of a visor or a bag, and 20 days will additionally be eligible for a drawing for a $50 Visa debit card.

2013 marks the seventh year for SVSU’s Healthy U Wellness program. Although there have been summer programs in the past, “Just Move It!” is new.  This is also the first the program has been extended to three days.

“We just wanted to give them as much opportunity as possible,” Mazurek said. “We have seen them do everything from jog, ride bikes or come out and walk with their friends.”

As a part of the Exercise is Medicine Campaign, SVSU’s Wellness program wants to encourage everyone to realize that exercise is a part of a healthy life.

“Exercise can be the best medicine,” Mazurek said. “It really can be.”

She said that although the summer program is aimed toward faculty and staff, students can always participate but will be ineligible to win prizes.

She also encourages students to always stay healthy and that the SVSU Wellness program does have ways to include them in their events.

On Saturday, October 19, 2013, the program will host its annual SVSU Cardinal 5K, which begins and ends at the SVSU Ryder Center. Students, along with its family can run or walk “to a healthy lifestyle,” according to Mazurek. All the proceeds from this event go to benefit the United Way of Saginaw County.

Along with the annual 5K, the program offers an annual Wellness Fair near the end of the academic year. At the 2012 Wellness Fair, nearly 50 vendors from companies and businesses came out and offered samples and free health tests and screenings.

“We just want everyone to meet their goals,” Mazurek said.

One such organization, Cru, has kept active through a Bible study that will go until the last week of June.

The study, which has been attended by students from SVSU and other universities such as University of Michigan and Michigan State, has focused around character studies of people in the Bible.

“We read through the passage and talk about the meaning and how we can apply the lessons to our personal lives and ministry,” said Ali Steffke, an early childhood/elementary education student who will start her fourth year in the fall.

While Cru’s study will soon be ending, Blessed John Paul II Ministries (JPII) plans to soon begin weekly mass on Wednesday nights in Arbury 159.

Formerly Catholics on Campus, the new name is only one part of JPII’s current transitional stage.

“The group voted on a new ministry name because we wanted to be viewed as more of a ministry than simply a group of Catholic students,” said Kevin Wojciechowski, SVSU junior and president of JPII.

With the changes the group is undergoing, Wojciechowski believes that fall will be a great semester for the ministry.

“With new leadership, new students and new ideas, we hope to strengthen our members in their faith and encourage them to be the light in the lives of their peers,” he said. “We will also be hosting our first retreat in November, which will be open to all SVSU students.”

The group will be updating their OrgSync page with more information on Wednesday mass once plans are finalized. Wojciechowski also encourages students interested in the Catholic Faith to join the Facebook page, “SVSU Catholic Ministries.”

Three other groups, Standing in the Gap, His House and the Muslim Students’ Association, have had meetings weekly over the spring semester and will be continuing them through the summer.

Standing in the Gap, another Christian organization has a Bible study every Wednesday evening at 7:30 in the Alumni Lounge or the Amphitheater, depending on the weather. The studies are led by Steven Krieg, recent SVSU graduate, but are meant to be conversational where everyone has a chance to speak and ask questions.

Upon graduation in May, Krieg became Standing in the Gap’s first Assistant Campus Pastor.

“Because it’s a smaller group, people get a chance to get to know each other better,” Krieg said. “It’s a little bit less that you just come and receive and a little bit more that you have an opportunity to contribute.”

His House has similarly not let a smaller group stop them from getting together to learn and have fun.

His House meets on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge. The meetings center around a DVD curriculum on “what it means to be a follower of Christ.”

Similar to Krieg’s experience with Standing in the Gap’s summer meetings, Nathan Ewald, an SVSU alum that serves as His House’s Associate Campus Minister Recruit, appreciates the smaller, more intimate setting.

“Small group settings are a great opportunity to get to know someone and become involved in their life,” Ewald said.

His House members also meet to grow closer through sports games, barbecues and similar events.

It’s not just Christian organizations that are active over the summer.

SVSU’s Muslim Students’ Association holds Al-Jumu’ah prayer every Friday at 2 p.m., in C182, though on June 28 it will be in C101.

“‘Jumu’ah’ literally means ‘Friday’ in Arabic, because the prayer is held on Friday afternoons,” said Elaf Al-Wohaibi, a junior and Muslim Students’ Association’s vice president. “It includes a 20-30 minute sermon given about various topics related to Islam, similar to sermons given on Sundays at church, followed by a prayer that usually lasts about ten minutes.”

Each of these groups prove that there are multiple opportunities for SVSU students to grow in their faith, along with other believers, outside of the regular fall and winter semesters.

“The most valuable thing … is that it gives students … a chance to stay connected over the summer,” Krieg said.