Farley Solves WU’s Parking Problem

March 09, 2009

Back in 2006 and 2007, one of the major issues on campus was parking. Letters to the editor and columns in the Washburn Review discussed this issue, and parking was included in the platform of candidates running for WSGA office.

Parking Problem Transformed to Enrollment Problem

However, unbeknownst to the students, the WU Board of Regents and the visionary President of Washburn University had already put in place the solution to the parking problem. In December, 2005, the WU Board of Regents approved a new graduation requirement for students matriculating at Washburn in the Fall of 2006. Subsequently, the parking problem has transformed itself into an enrollment problem.

Enrollment Problem Creates Budget Problem

The decline in Washburn University’s enrollment began in the Fall of 2006, and the declining rate has significantly grown in each subsequent academic year. Clearly, students are rejecting the mandatory nature of an otherwise worthwhile program. While the administration continues to reject the correlation between declining enrollments and the imposition of the Washburn Transformational Experience as a mandatory graduation requirement, the budget implications of this sharp decline in enrollment cannot continue to be ignored.

Enrollment Term Credit Hours 05-06 Credit Hours 06-07 % change Credit Hours 07-08 % change Credit Hours 08-09 %change
Fall 80,160 79,789 -0.5% 77,298 -3.1% 73,201 -5.3%
Spring 75,204 73,070 -2.8% 71,150 -2.6% 67,716 -4.8%
Summer 11,653 11,186 -4.0% 11,559 3.3%
Total 167,017 164,045 -1.8% 160,007 -2.5%

In current fiscal year 2008-09, the lost revenues from this 5% decline in enrollment (modestly calculated at $197 per credit hour) total almost $1.5 million.

How Farley Publicly Addresses Budget Problem

President Farley has known since the beginning of this academic year, that serious budget issues were presented this year by a proposed decline in state funding, flat sales tax revenues, and declining enrollments. Publicly, he has offered the following solutions to this budget shortfall:

  • Hiring freeze
  • Limit travel
  • Limit equipment purchases
  • Offer fewer sections of certain classes
  • Early retirement program

In November, 2008, the WU Board of Regents accepted President Farley’s proposed FY 09 $2.6 million budget reductions. Almost $2.0 million of salary and benefits were to be cut from the budget, including ten faculty, four administrative, and five classified positions. Almost $625,000 was to be cut in other operating expenses.

How Farley Really Addresses Budget Problem

However, a review of employment advertisements in the Topeka Capital Journal and a look through the university’s check register creates some doubt as to the seriousness of the administration’s response to this problem.

Classified advertisements regularly appear in the Topeka Capital Journal for job vacancies, with the most recent ones being a Financial Aid assistant and an Associate Director for the Leadership Institute.

The check register includes the following expenditures:

  • $732 – install x-mas lights on bell tower
  • $6,050 – install mini-blinds in Morgan room 231
  • $7,743 – judges chair for courtroom
  • $53,194 – office furniture and equipment for School of Nursing
  • $6,649 – Herman Miller furniture – Institutional Research
  • $7,188 – ads – Morris Publishing Group LLC
  • $13,750 – monthly charge for outsourced facility maintenance
  • $334 – Tom Ellis – travel to Hutchinson KS
  • $39 – Tom Ellis’s lunch with the Sungard consultants
  • $829 - Tom Ellis – AACRAO registration fee
  • $1,296 – Tom Ellis – travel to Anaheim, California
  • $283,079 – Sungard annual maintenance for Banner agreement
  • $49,500 – Sungard – special project agreement
  • $293 – President Farley’s monthly telephone charges
  • $2,410 – patch President Farley’s driveway
  • $78,807 – FryeAllen media charges
  • $9,112 – FryeAllen – 2008 Homecoming mailer
  • $1,400 – Drinon & Associates – strategic planning
  • $1,495 – change and add banners in Lee Arena
  • $9,533 – keyless access system

So Who REALLY Addresses Budget Problems?

The WU Board of Regents Budget and Finance Committee last met in November, 2008 when they approved President Farley's proposed FY 09 budget reductions. Although this committee typically meets in December and January prior to the end of each fiscal year, this year there have been no budget meetings scheduled since November.

Budget discussions regarding this fiscal year and budget planning for next fiscal year are not taking place in a public forum. Since the administration is not addressing the budget in a public forum, one can only speculate as to what is being considered behind closed doors.

What's the Plan for FY 2010?

What Is Unlikely

With the uncertainty presented by this tough economy, it appears unlikely that the early retirement program produced the $250,000 in savings that the Board of Regents required for implementation. Since there have been no Finance Committee meetings to discuss salary increases for FY 10, those appear unlikely. With many schools talking about holding the line on tuition increases, this old stand-by action may not be a viable alternative for addressing the FY 2010 budget.

Furloughs?

If enrollment continues its downward trend, it is likely that the administration will have to consider cutting positions or implementing furloughs. Hopefully, the administration will take a hard look at its overhead and administrative expenses before it gets into the classrooms with the budget cutting knife. Cutting essential academic programs will only exacerbate the problem of declining enrollment. Cutting administrative positions will make even more parking available for the students.

Note: campus photos taken at 9:00 am on a Monday morning while classes were in session.