At today’s Rome Rotary Club meeting, Dr. Stephen R. Briggs of Berry College addressed Rotarians about the cost, price and value of higher education at Berry College -- examining frequently asked questions about college spending and the price of tuition at the private institution.
Briggs has been president at Berry College for two years. He is a graduate of Wake Forest University and The University of Texas at Austin.
Briggs said the U.S. Senate sent Berry College a list of questions on financial endowment because the college boasts a “large bank account.” The college provides approximately $16 million, after subsidies, in financial aid to students.
At Berry College, the mission under founder Martha Berry remains the economic model still in place today.
“We look for multiple income streams and students pay less than half of the actual tuition price,” said Briggs.
Money is allocated through the college’s sales of timber and expansive student work study program.
“The true price is going up,” he said.
Berry is a “people industry,” he said, and staff must be paid well for “side by side” commitment to students. Other things that drive up the college cost include residence hall air conditioning, a learning disability center, a state of the art science lab and updating the athletic facilities, including The Cage athletic center.
Berry also plans two new residence halls, which will hold 349 students; an update to the 50 year old Dana Hall dorm; and adding two new trail heads for horses. In addition, Briggs would like to see the student population — which is around 1,700 to 1,800 — grow to about 2,400.
“We would love to sell water underneath our campus,” Briggs announced.
The issue is being studied, but sinkholes and other problems will not allow it at this time.
Briggs also told Rotarians that Berry College would continue its commitment to the public through bike trails, and wrapped things up with a comment about not charging admission to see a six-legged deer.
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