Budget cuts continue to plague UHCL as attendance rises

Debra Machemehl

The Signal

UHCL President William Staples addressed faculty and staff about budget cuts, downward expansion, and campus accomplishments Sept. 26.

The president’s presentation was designed differently from previous years, allowing key administrators to be part of the presentation and speak about their areas of expertise.

Despite reaching a record enrollment, Staples recognized the recent cuts to state funding and the effect on the UHCL budget was on the forefront of everyone’s mind.

“It is a serious issue,” Staples said.  “There is no two ways about it.  It is not just a UHCL issue, it is not just a Texas issue, it is basically a national issue.”

The university had a $5.8 million reduction in state appropriation funds.  This represents a 14 percent decrease in the fund formula, which calculates how much the state funds the university per credit hours.

“The university approached the budget decrease over a three-year budget period,” said Michelle Dotter, vice president for administration and finance.

The university already implemented $1.9 million cutbacks for the FY2011 and FY2012 budgets.

The university still must implement a 1.55 percent decrease for FY2013.

“This reduction does shift a greater impact on students,” Dotter said.

Students felt the impact from cutbacks this fall from tuition increases voted on earlier this spring by the Board of Regents for the UH System.  Undergraduates had a 3.95 percent increase. Graduate students saw a 4.95 percent increase.

“At this time, we don’t know if there will be a tuition increase for 2012-2013,” Staples said.  “Board approval of any increase for 2012-2013, if it were to occur, would not happen until Spring 2012.”

Students are not the only ones impacted by the budget deficit. The university saw a 4 percent reduction in workforce with a loss of 32 positions.

Various UHCL departments have vacant positions, and all have to deal with a decrease in the managing and operational budget for the FY2012 as well as a 1.5 percent projected decrease to their FY2013 budgets.

While the university gained $2.1 million in spending revenue for FY2012 through increase in enrollment and tuition, this still left a shortfall of $1.3 million for the university.

“Enrollment growth in FY2012 is one source that will assist in covering the $1.3 estimated shortfall for FY2013,” Dotter said.  “We also plan to depend on the use of university reserves as needed, additional revenue estimates, reallocations and it may be necessary to make additional reductions.  We have about six months to develop these items before we complete the FY2013 budget in the spring of 2012.”

Students might be looking at another increase in tuition and even additional student fees beginning the fall of 2012.

“I am hoping this remaining deficit will not affect students,” SGA President Henry Hodde said.  “Departments will present proposed fee increases for next school year at the Nov. 8 SGA meeting.  Students will also have an opportunity to hear about the budget in two town hall meetings.”

The first town hall meeting is scheduled for Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. in the Forest Room with Staples and Carl Stockton, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. The second meeting, Nov. 3 at noon in Forest Room, will be with Staples and Dotter.

“Students are encouraged to attend and hear the presentations and make their voices heard,” Hodde said.  “It is not the students’ fault the budget was decreased from the state.  And to put the budget constraint on the student is not fair.”

The university saw its highest enrollment this fall with 8,099 students, an 8.9 percent increase from the 2008 fall semester.

“UHCL has the highest enrollment ever in its 38 years of operation,” Staples said.

Students are taking more accredited hours per semester as a result of a university initiative that began two years ago during which the university encouraged students to take nine hours instead of six.

“Universities and community colleges see rises in enrollment any time unemployment rises and in particularly in times of such a severe recession,” stated a Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions representative.  “Advanced degrees help individuals stay competitive, while others seek additional training to qualify for positions.”

During the meeting, Staples also updated attendees on the university’s next step on downward expansion since getting approval to add freshman and sophomores to UHCL.
“The question on everyone’s mind is when do we do it,” Staples said. “I can only give you a tentative answer, the earliest we will have freshman on campus is fall 2014.”

Visits to the UH-Victoria campus will also be planned to see their implementations of downward expansion.

“We are going to look to see what went well for them and what did not,” Staples said. “We will not put UHCL at risk before a detail plan is in place before having freshman and sophomores on campus.”

Staples pointed out that despite budget cuts and challenges faced for downward expansion, UHCL remains a “very good university.”

“UHCL provides 40 undergraduate and 45 graduate programs geared to both full-time and part-time students, including many students who must juggle school, work and family responsibilities,” Staples said.  “By working with our area community colleges partners, UHCL is able to provide a seamless transfer for students making the transition from a community college to UHCL. UHCL has also committed additional funding for scholarships while maintaining an overall tuition rate below the state average for public universities.  UHCL also offers programs and courses on-campus, off-campus and online to meet the various needs of our student.”

Staples points out this is not the first time UHCL has faced tough times naming the years 1985, 1991, and 2003 specifically.  Although he does admit, “This is a little worse than previous times.”

“Let me assure you, we will get through this,” Staples said.  “We are a strong enough university, and we will adapt and respond like we have in the past.  That is why we are a successful institution.