If you cannot view this poll click here.
And here are the results from the last poll.
Budgets
18
Jan 10
Break The System To Remake the System
The genius of HBO’s The Wire is that it shows that the system perpetuates itself. You cannot improve the system until you determine how to eradicate the system completely. I was listening in a meeting the other day and couldn’t help but be reminded of this fact.
To how many of you does this scenario sound familiar?
Problem A: We need more money to do X and X is important to our mission as a campus (need more staff, need new furniture, any problem)
Problem B: We have no way to get new money that doesn’t involve placing more burden on those we’re trying to serve or cutting from somewhere else (We could place another fee on students OR we could cut other programs that are either out of our jurisdiction or connect to our mission)
We can’t truly fix problem A until there’s a solution to problem B and there IS NO SOLUTION to Problem B.
Anyone who is familiar with such a scenario knows what you inevitably do. You make your best effort to solve problem A with minimal resources by going through the back door or skimping. OR you make the unfortunate choice to solve problem B by passing the cost on to another massive student fee, even though it probably doesn’t feel completely right to do so.
I couldn’t help but think of season 4 of the Wire. For those who aren’t familiar, the schools are a wreck because of the “corner kids” not being educated in a way they understand, but the government won’t allow the kids to be educated differently despite people who have proven that such innovation is effective. So, the current system doesn’t work to solve problems but rather squelches innovation and actually perpetuates the problems that exist.
This brings me to the State of New Jersey. It’s come down the line that the new governor plans to cut the state budget by a mind boggling 25 percent; those of us in higher ed know that we tend to take the lumps in such budget cuts. Everyone’s scared to death, but part of me is glad. Massive change and budget reductions REQUIRES a rethinking of how things are done. True change and true destruction of the old way of doing things will only happen when those changes are forced to happen.
At the risk of massive narcissism, I will quote myself…”Personally, I believe this to be the biggest benefit of any crisis situation, whether it be personal, local or even national. A crisis is an opportunity to reflect on our values and to think about what may be most important. While we are in crisis, we can reconnect with what our values should be and emerge leaner and meaner and more prepared to do great work in the world.”
25% budget cuts might break the system and cause much needed change to happen. I might be alone here, but I think that’s a good thing.
6
Dec 09
Addressing an Important Question – How to Do More with Less
Yesterday, I read an article online about the University of South Dakota getting rid of landline telephones in all of their residence halls. My colleague, and fellow SA Blogger Bryan Koval, says Penn State has also taken the same step as a cost-saving measure.
Just the other day, I read another article about Hofstra Unviersity dropping its 69-year-old football program as a cost-saving measure.
Colleges and universities are taking some very drastic measures to cope with the budget crisis in higher education. It seems like all of the talk recently in staff meetings at my institution – and I’m sure many other institutions – is about how the budget crisis in our state is impacting what we do.
How do you continue to provide high quality services and programs with less and less money and fewer resources? I don’t know that there is any simple answer to this, but it’s a question burdening many of us.
My institution has seen a decrease in state funding support of about 35 percent over the past 7-8 years. Recently, the institution has implemented furlough days for its employees, put a hiring freeze on most positions, put stringent limitations on travel-related expenses, and increased the cost of many of its essential services.
This is all no surprise to any of us reading this blog, I’m sure.
I write this today to engage the readers in a discussion about what your departments are doing to creatively and effectively battle any budget-related shortfalls your institutions might be encountering. What are your departments doing that many of us may have not considered yet?
9
Dec 08
Student Affairs and the Bad Economy
December is a time for me to sit back, pick up the phone and call many SA friends I’ve neglected since school started. Unfortunately the conversations this year are unnervingly more depressing than before, and the main topic on everyone’s mind…The economy.
“This is the worst budget crisis I’ve seen in my 20 years of working in student affairs.” – Phone conversation with SA Director in WA.
In case you haven’t heard the U.S. economy is hurting and every day a news article is written about the impact it’s having on higher ed.
“Arizona State University, anticipating at least $25 million in budget cuts this fiscal year — on top of the $30 million already cut — is ending its contracts with as many as 200 adjunct instructors.” – The NY Times“Take the UW. The university’s endowment fell by 14 percent in the year ending September, to $1.9 billion. The UW spends about $95 million of that each year on professorships, scholarships and other programs — money which may now need to be trimmed back.” – The Seattle Times
“Harvard has sent a letter to its deans saying that the university’s $36.9 billion endowment fund lost 22 percent of its value in the last four months and could decline as much as 30 percent by the end of the fiscal year on June 30.” – The NY Times
The irony of bad economic times is college enrollment generally increases.
“There is also student demand, which has been skyrocketing. Last week, the UW announced 1,100 more sophomores, juniors and seniors stayed in school this year than had been anticipated, probably because of the worsening economy. Emmert says applications for the 5,500 freshman slots could shatter records this year by reaching 25,000.” – The Seattle Times
Most articles I’ve read talk about the impact on faculty and administration, but what about the SA Departments. How are you handling the downturn?
SA budgets are generally either:
- Operational – based on the institution and/or state budget
- Activity Fees – based on a per student / per credit enrollment fee
How is each budget fairing right now? Are operational budgets being hit the hardest because of massive state budget cuts? Are activity fees going up due to the increased enrollment? Or are activity fees hurting as well because they now have to service a larger number of students?
The economy is hurting almost everyone, but educational institutions have to deal with it in their own unique way.
“We can adapt to changing spending environments, but we are not like a business,” Jenny said. “We can’t just cease degree programs that students have already enrolled in.” – The Seattle Times
How are you managing now?
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