The Stanford University Board of Trustees met on Monday and Tuesday of this week to discuss issues ranging from an increase in tuition to the construction of new facilities and housing.

The Board approved a 3.5 percent increase in undergraduate tuition for the 2014-15 academic year. Board Chair Steven Denning MBA ’78, emphasized, however, that nominal increases in the cost of tuition in recent years have largely been offset by the University’s financial aid commitments.

“Stanford’s one of the few institutions where we’ve had no real increase in net dollars over the past decade,” Denning said. “The net cost of attending Stanford, including room and board, has actually gone down five percent in real dollars over the last decade.”

The Board also heard an update on residential education from Senior Associate Vice Provost for Residential Affairs Nadeem Hussain ’90.

“[Hussain] is a ball of fire,” Denning said. “The Board was very enthusiastic about his presentation.”

Although Denning declined to discuss the exact content of Hussain’s presentation, he described a sustained commitment to the residential experience as an essential part of a Stanford education even as online learning gains traction.

“That residential element is not just where you live and eat…it’s a part of your education,” Denning said.

Last Sunday afternoon, current and former members of the Board participated in a naming ceremony for the new Donald Kennedy Graduate Residences in Escondido Village. Each of the four houses within the residence, which is named after the former president, is named for a different Stanford provost.

“We thought it was a very appropriate time to recognize those five leaders in terms of their contribution to what Stanford is today,” Denning said.

The Board also heard a presentation from Lloyd Minor, dean of the School of Medicine, on the future of Stanford medicine. According to Denning, Minor focused on discussing ways of capitalizing on the School of Medicine’s current position and means of leading the biomedical revolution.

Denning subsequently reviewed several approved construction plans, including the replacement of the current Stanford Stadium locker room facilities by a two-story field house (scheduled for completion by the 2015 season) and the addition of a parking complex by Roble (scheduled for completion by early 2016).

Denning also described new faculty housing as one of the more important construction plans for the near future. The Board approved building 180 new faculty-housing units on California Avenue, including 68 single-family units and 108 condominium flats, at this month’s meeting. All units will be available for sale.

“There’s been a lot of thought and effort put into designing the character of the adjacent college terrace area…it’s going to offer some other amenities regarding clubhouses and pools,” Denning said. “It’s an attempt to provide our faculty with appropriate housing.”

Construction is scheduled to be completed by the 2017-18 academic year, pending final approval from the City of Palo Alto later this year.

Contact Minkee Sohn at minkees ‘at’ stanford ‘dot’ edu.