Why CCU is voting on tuition hike - again

On Thursday, the CCU board of trustees will vote for a tuition hike for the second time within eight days.

Last Thursday, the board took almost a half-hour before getting enough board members to call into the meeting to reach a quorum, which is 50 percent of the board plus one additional member. The board then voted on a 3.29 percent increase to student tuition, resulting in 1.7 percent total increase in student costs.

But on Friday, the school announced that it would have to hold another vote on next year’s tuition and boarding rates because the board’s bylaws require a notice to be sent to all board members at least five days before any vote on tuition or room and board.

CCU legal counsel Timothy Meacham said he received a call from trustee and Myrtle Beach attorney Natasha Hanna, who didn’t attend last week’s meeting, after she saw the vote and called Meacham asking about whether or not the board had received sufficient notice before voting on tuition.

“We just looked at it because this is something that we need to pay close attention to,” he said.

Hanna said she thinks the notice was sent on Tuesday, two days before the vote.

“I didn’t think it was anything intentional, just an oversight,” she said. “It’s no big deal. I’m sure it’ll all happen the same way as the first time.”

Hanna, a CCU alumnus, said she loves being on the board and just wanted to make sure everything was done correctly.

“We have bylaws for a reason and as an attorney, I’m really sensitive that they follow the rules,” she said. “I love my school and I want to make sure we do things properly.”

The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.

This story was originally published June 28, 2016 at 10:34 AM with the headline "Why CCU is voting on tuition hike - again."