LARAMIE -- Unlike three years ago, none of the University of Wyoming trustees on Thursday expressed opposition to UW President Tom Buchanan's proposal to raise resident undergraduate tuition by 5 percent for each of the next two academic years.

The trustees will formally decide on the proposal at their business meeting today.

One trustee, Dave Bostrom of Worland, suggested the increase should be even larger to speed up UW's progress toward membership in the Greater Western Library Alliance.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal's representative at the meeting, Chris Boswell, said the governor thinks the proposed 5 percent increase is reasonable, but he said Freudenthal is concerned about the cumulative effects when increases are "piled on one another."

"Even the 10 percent increase is substantial, given the changing economy of the state," Boswell said.

The increase for resident undergraduates would be the first in four years. Tuition for non-resident undergraduates and all graduate students has been increased during that time, and the proposal for the next two years also includes the same 5 percent per year increase for those students.

However, UW plans to use federal economic stimulus funds to pay the 5 percent increase on behalf of all students in the first year, which means that students and their parents will experience no increase next year but then a 10 percent increase for the following year.

The funds raised by the increases will be divided between boosting library collections and enriching the classroom and laboratory experiences at the university by directing funds to such things as supplies, chemicals, instrumentation, musical instruments, drama costumes, glassware and travel.

UW Vice President for Academic Affairs Myron Allen said some of the support budgets have not been increased in 20 years.

The tuition proposal also called for significantly higher increases in the "differential" tuition for UW's professional programs such as law and pharmacy.

In answer to a question from trustee Dave Palmerlee of Buffalo, UW's new law dean, Stephen Easton, said the increases in the differential would chiefly be used to boost scholarship funds so as to compete more effectively for the most promising students from Wyoming and elsewhere, promote diversity and support needier students.

Trustees Ann Rochelle of Casper, Taylor Haynes of Cheyenne and Warren Lauer of Laramie expressed concerns about using tuition income from students to provide scholarships. Lauer said those funds should be used to enhance the education of the students paying the tuition.

College of Business Dean Brent Hathaway asked the board Thursday to approve a 170 percent increase over two years in the tuition cost for resident students in the master's of business administration program as part of a "radical redesign" of the program.

Boswell asked why the requested increase for non-residents in the program was only 46 percent. Hathaway said the rate for non-residents had been increased in previous years.

The first year of the differential increases for the professional programs will also be covered by stimulus funds.