Edit this story for
the Center College student newspaper.
Terrence Forsythe, Center College Chancellor, held a public meeting yesterday in
the Student Center Auditorium to address the present budget dilemma and
discussed planned remedies.
Forsythe began the convocation by praiseing the College's progress in recent
years.
He noted increased research support and the near completion of the new sciences
and engineering bldg.
"Our challenge is to maintain this level of advancement in the context of a
changing
fiscal situation."
And changing it is. Under the formula used by the state Higher Education
Commission to alocate state funds, Center College is to receive 1,400,000
dollars less this year than it did last year. This decrease, coupled with the
college's responsibility for raising one per cent of a 3 per cent salary
increase, means that Center College is facing a $7,000,000 shortfall between
what it wants to do and what projected revenues will allow it to do, said
Forsythe.
Forsythe said strategies to close this budget gap are being pursued and they are
centered on cutting base budgets across campuys, reducing future committments,
and looking for ways to increase revenue.
While student activity fees are uneffected in this situation, Forsythe estimated
a three percent increase in tuition will take place as one method ot" increasing
revenue.
"These budget reductions can not be achieved however without a reduction in
force through some lay-offs, said Forsythe, sparking several questions from the
audience. Diana Hunter, President of the Faculty Senate, voiced concerns as to
who would be targeted by these layoffs.
"The staff reductions will be prioritized by importence of services" Forsythe
replied, assuring immunity to tenured and tenure-track faculty.
"The reductions will come from leaving positions vacant" Fred Mathieson, Vice
Chancellor of Academic Affairs said.
Forsythe said administrative services and support will be reduced by 12%, where
as
academic units will be cut by 4%.
Forsythe feels that the present budget problem will not soon disappear. Center
College may recieve even less state support next year.
The current Governor has not been supportive of higher education during his term
in office.
Vice Chancellor Mathieson pointed out that the majority of the costs of a
student's
education at Center College is still paid by state tax revenues, but the lack of
support
from the governor's office and the state legislature means that students will
bear a larger percentage of the total costs through tuition increases.
Tuition increases at unversities in the state in recent years have not been as
steep as those at the majority of states and tuition at public institutions in
the state is among the lowest in the country, Mathieson said.