Economy going down, tuition going up
Dominiqe Snow, Joshua Harrison
Issue date: 1/15/09 Section: Campus
With tough economic times, everyone must cut back. Salt Lake Community College is no exception. This means students, faculty and staff may soon be forced to deal with some hard decisions.
"Over the last three years, SLCC has had a 0 percent increase in tuition," Student Association President Andrew Nelson said. "Any tuition rise will come from legislation and government."
Currently, our State is dealing with uncertain economic circumstances. The State Legislature is recommending a reduction in budgets for higher education institutions and other state agencies. According to a report filed by SLCC's Budget Director Dana Van Dyke, the proposed budget cut for SLCC would be $2.8 million.
"It is essential for the institution to continue to focus on moving forward in innovative and creative ways," Van Dyke said. "Such as internal reallocation, to address the most strategic and pressing needs for next year."
Student Association Vice President Matt Haidenthaller feels that the school needs to keep the tuition low because that is the reason that it's a community college. He suggests that people call on their local government officials to evoke a change in tuition costs.
"Tuition is always going to rise," said Haidenthaller. "The best thing people can do to keep tuition low is to rally local senators and the State Legislature."
Students aren't the only ones that are making sacrifices. SLCC must find ways to cut its operating budget while at the same time figure out different ways it can make money so that students don't suffer.
"We were directed to provide the governor's office and the legislative analyst proposed ways of dealing with a potential 2-5 percent reduction/rescission of our current operating and one-time budgets," SLCC President Cynthia Bioteau wrote in an e-mail to faculty and staff. "We have provided the following prioritized areas that will be used if needed to address this. They are: position vacancy savings, increase the level of review of underperforming programs, begin a process for developing criteria to identify those programs which could be consolidated, reduced in scope, or eliminated after appropriate notification, consider enrollment caps, delay purchasing large equipment items, consider increasing employees share of healthcare costs such as higher co-pays, higher deductibles, and/or higher co-insurance payments. Understand that these are only potential areas at this point, special legislative sessions will provide further direction."
On the brighter side, SLCC is one of the best community colleges for fundraising in the nation. According to the Council for Aid to Education, SLCC was the No. 1 community college in the nation for fundraising in 2007. The only school in Utah that had more donations than SLCC was Brigham Young University.
In 2007, SLCC earned more than $26 million, $9 million more than the second closest community college.
"When you look at donations and benefactors to community colleges, we're just getting off the ground nationally," Bioteau said in an interview with the Deseret News. "For Salt Lake Community College to be as successful as they have been to date, it's really exciting."
"Over the last three years, SLCC has had a 0 percent increase in tuition," Student Association President Andrew Nelson said. "Any tuition rise will come from legislation and government."
Currently, our State is dealing with uncertain economic circumstances. The State Legislature is recommending a reduction in budgets for higher education institutions and other state agencies. According to a report filed by SLCC's Budget Director Dana Van Dyke, the proposed budget cut for SLCC would be $2.8 million.
"It is essential for the institution to continue to focus on moving forward in innovative and creative ways," Van Dyke said. "Such as internal reallocation, to address the most strategic and pressing needs for next year."
Student Association Vice President Matt Haidenthaller feels that the school needs to keep the tuition low because that is the reason that it's a community college. He suggests that people call on their local government officials to evoke a change in tuition costs.
"Tuition is always going to rise," said Haidenthaller. "The best thing people can do to keep tuition low is to rally local senators and the State Legislature."
Students aren't the only ones that are making sacrifices. SLCC must find ways to cut its operating budget while at the same time figure out different ways it can make money so that students don't suffer.
"We were directed to provide the governor's office and the legislative analyst proposed ways of dealing with a potential 2-5 percent reduction/rescission of our current operating and one-time budgets," SLCC President Cynthia Bioteau wrote in an e-mail to faculty and staff. "We have provided the following prioritized areas that will be used if needed to address this. They are: position vacancy savings, increase the level of review of underperforming programs, begin a process for developing criteria to identify those programs which could be consolidated, reduced in scope, or eliminated after appropriate notification, consider enrollment caps, delay purchasing large equipment items, consider increasing employees share of healthcare costs such as higher co-pays, higher deductibles, and/or higher co-insurance payments. Understand that these are only potential areas at this point, special legislative sessions will provide further direction."
On the brighter side, SLCC is one of the best community colleges for fundraising in the nation. According to the Council for Aid to Education, SLCC was the No. 1 community college in the nation for fundraising in 2007. The only school in Utah that had more donations than SLCC was Brigham Young University.
In 2007, SLCC earned more than $26 million, $9 million more than the second closest community college.
"When you look at donations and benefactors to community colleges, we're just getting off the ground nationally," Bioteau said in an interview with the Deseret News. "For Salt Lake Community College to be as successful as they have been to date, it's really exciting."
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