Topeka ? Housing rates on regents university campuses are going up again.

At its meeting Thursday, the Kansas Board of Regents approved an average increase of between 4 and 6 percent for all six state universities. Kansas University’s rate increase varied from as little as 2.5 percent in the Sunflower Apartments to as much as 8 percent in certain scholarship halls.

While the matter did not garner much additional attention this month after having first been brought up in November, Regent Gary Sherrer, citing statistics from an article in Thursday’s Journal-World, said he did not have enough information to support the rate increase.

“I’m asked today to raise the cost of going to college for our students,” Sherrer said. “And I have no idea whether there was a loss last year, or was there a profit? I have zippo on that, and that’s not a basis for which I can vote for something. It’s just too little information.”

In November, Sherrer had asked questions about the audited financial statements of the housing operations; but board staff did not have answers at this meeting. Sherrer specifically asked for how the reserve fund levels had changed year-over-year and what the housing operations’ net profit, or loss, was in the last year.

Regent Dan Lykins, while agreeing with Sherrer that more information would be beneficial, said he was supporting the increase because in some cases, the students had asked for the services leading to the increase.

Rec Center named

KU also received permission Thursday to name the Student Recreation Fitness Center on campus.

The 100,000-square-foot building, funded by student fees and currently undergoing an expansion, will be named after David Ambler, KU’s former vice chancellor of student affairs.

Mary Chappell, KU’s director of recreation services, said last week that the idea to name the building after Ambler originated with students and staff. The name will be formally unveiled next fall when KU dedicates the 44,000-square-foot expansion.

Hemenway gets credit

Kansas State President Jon Wefald heaped praise on KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway for hiring KU football coach Mark Mangino and basketball coach Bill Self.

“I called Mark Mangino three weeks ago to compliment him on the season he’s had,” Wefald said. “And he was very complimentary toward Chancellor Hemenway.”

Wefald pointed out that it wasn’t Athletic Director Lew Perkins who brought either Self or Mangino to Kansas, but rather it was Hemenway.

“The AD there now is great, but he inherited Mark Mangino and Bill Self,” Wefald said.