The Saint Louis University 2002 budget served as the basis for most of the discussion at the Student Government Association meeting last night.

In addition to the presentation, two pieces of legislation passed and one bill was reconsidered only to be tabled until next week’s meeting. The resolution to implement a limit on the annual percentage increase in housing rates was approved. Also, the bill to seat Dennis J. Barton as the Law School Senator passed unanimously. Finally, the bill to post the SGA budget on its Web site which was approved last week, was reconsidered and then tabled until next week.

During the open forum, Rob Altholz, university vice president for Business and Finance at the University, presented the predicted FY2002 budget to senators.

There were few complaints since the controversial housing and tuition rates for next year have already been announced. Instead, Altholz gave senators the opportunity to question some of the figures.

In the new budget, Information Technology Services was allotted $250,000. “SLU2000 gave a lot to ITS, but it’s like a black hole: we could always use more,” Altholz said.

When the cost of housing was mentioned Altholz commented on SLU’s position nationally. “Before, we were slightly below the median; today, we are slightly above it,” he said. Altholz said that he is quite confident that housing costs will not repeat the 16.9 percent increase unless more improvements equal to those of this year are made.

With a 6.8 percent increase in tuition for next year, SLU falls in the middle of other private universities, according to Altholz. The University is about $5,000 less than Georgetown University and around $4,000 more than Creighton University.

First Year Senator Paul Fitzgibbons didn’t think it was fair to compare SLU to first tier universities like Georgetown, Washington University and Notre Dame University.

Altholz responded that those are the schools SLU aspires to be like. “They got to the position they are in by spending money to improve their school.”

Adam Altman, commuter senator, pointed out that SLU’s percentage of increase was higher than every other university on the list with the exception of John Carroll University. Altman questioned whether SLU’s reasons for increase were that unique.

“You’re really asking where is the tuition going,” Altholz responded. “I don’t really know the answer right now, but I’ll be really happy to come back when I do.”

Later in the meeting, Altman vowed to work on legislation about the tuition increase.

In old business, the resolution to implement an 8.54 percent limit on the annual percentage increase in housing rates was passed unanimously.

Altman, one of the co-authors of the bill, summed up the reason for the resolution: “This bill will teach the administration to be responsible with money.”