At the University Board of Regents meeting held at University of Michigan-Dearborn campus on Thursday, a 3-percent increase for residence hall rates was approved for the 2010-2011 academic year.

The regents unanimously approved the new cost of University Housing for the 2010-2011 school year, permitting the requested 3-percent overall increase for on-campus room and board, submitted to regents in a letter this afternoon by Royster Harper, vice president for student affairs at the University.

Increases in the rates for residence hall rooms are between $236 and $354 — the lowest increase for standard double rooms and the highest increase for a single room with a private bath — according to the document submitted by Harper.

Northwood Apartment yearly rates will increase by about $100, driving up monthly rates by nearly $10 per month, depending on the type of apartment.

For the 2009-2010 school year, the University was ranked eleventh in the peer institution poll for cost of a double room with board, fifteenth in the rate of increase, according to the document submitted by Harper to regents this afternoon. The rankings for the 2010-2011 school year are not yet known.

The University’s increase in residence hall rates for the 2010-2011 school year ranks second-to-last among Big Ten universities in front of the University of Minnesota, which has a projected 2.5-percent increase for residence hall rates.

But the University ranks third in dollar amount for residence hall costs. At $9,192 for the 2010-2011 year, the University only ranks below Northwestern University and Purdue University in on-campus housing costs, at an approved $11,700 and projected $9,388 for the schools, respectively.

Regents approve three construction projects, with an estimated total cost of $28.9 million

A $17.7 million expansion of the University Hospital Emergency Department, which will renovate a total of 28,900 square feet in University Hospital buildings, was approved by the regents.

The renovations will allow the hospital dentistry department to relocate from the University Hospital Building to the Medical Inn Building as well as expand the psychiatry emergency service closer to the emergency department. Renovations in the University Hospital building will also create space for an additional 26 treatment bays, two family consultation rooms and six enclosed triage rooms.

The renovations are expected to reduce crowded waiting areas in the emergency department, according a letter submitted to the regents on Thursday by Ora Pescovitz, executive vice president for medical affairs, and Tim Slottow, executive vice president and chief financial officer for the University.

In an interview with The Michigan Daily following the meeting, Pescovitz said she was very excited the regents chose to move forward with the expansion project.

“It’s terrific news and we’re very anxious to have it,” Pescovitz said. “It will really improve access, wait times and satisfaction.”

However, Pescovitz hinted that future endeavors may more aggressively tackle her goal of improving UMHS’s core mission and national standing.

“It’s a very important thing for us to do, but we’ll have bigger things coming,” Pescovitz added.

The Board of Regents also unanimously approved an $8.7 million expansion of the North Campus Chiller Plant, a facility that provides chilled water to North Campus buildings.

The NCCP construction completed in 2005, taking the place of individual building chillers on North Campus.