Public Comments on FY 09 Operating and Capital Budgets - May 16, 2008
Presented by Mary Lou Herring to Washburn University Board of Regents
Transformational Experience
Total funding for the $850,000 Transformational Experience (WTE) program is still unclear, with the FY 09 budget documents showing an additional $92,000 for salary increases and $66,000 of “new” money for operating expenses. The Leadership Institute, one of the four cornerstones of this initiative, shows savings of almost $84,000, with the elimination of the Director’s position, presumably due to the “budget crunch” that is facing Washburn U and the outgoing Director lamenting the significant decline in scholarships available to students in this program.
While the recent accreditation self-study report cited WTE as a strength of this institution, the Faculty Senate is currently considering adopting a three-year review cycle of the program, with consideration being given to reviewing “optional vs required student participation”. Comments on CJ Online prompted by the recent front page story of this university’s declining enrollment suggested that WTE was playing a role in the loss of students.
So, before approving additional funds for this program, the Board should insist on a full, complete, and clear assessment report of WTE, including feedback from the faculty that are voicing their concerns over this program. It’s very likely that the funding that was found for this signature program might be better used for faculty development and increases in the academic operating budgets that continue to be funded at the FY 02 level.
Academic Computing
It’s also interesting to note a disproportionate amount of the budget for Information Technology Services continues to be misclassified as “academic support” rather than “general institutional” expense, particularly in light of the “problems involving ITS” that are being discussed in the Faculty Senate and the ITS interference with “academic computing” reported in the recent HiPace report.
Further evidence of the lack of technology in the academic area is provided by the Technology Equipment budget (pdf) that you will be considering today. Less than 15% of that $500,000 budget is clearly earmarked for academic purposes, with 30% of that budget being used for operating expenses and over 50% of the budget being wasted on something introduced by the current administration – PC replacement – after throwing out the more cost effective thin-client approach to computing that previously served this institution well.
Capital Budgets
What did become of all the deferred maintenance needs that were so hotly discussed last year? The three mill fund assessed specifically to maintain the campus infrastructure is still being used to fund operating expenses (pdf), such as maintenance agreements, software, office furniture and equipment, and football uniforms. Only 60% of the tax included in the FY 09 budget is allocated for deferred maintenance needs.
This board continues to aggressively pursue the building projects set forth by this administration, including the Whiting project, with a budget that has now grown $2.0 million since last July. Monies are always found in the reserves for these projects, even while the academic programs continue to struggle to find the funding for the needs articulated in the annual program reviews. Even Mabee Library hasn’t been appropriately funded, in spite of being one of the two challenges specifically cited by the 1998 accreditation team.
Summary
It’s no wonder that enrollment continues to decline. At some point this Board will have to wake up to the fact that it takes more than fundraising skills to effectively run a university. Please keep that in mind this year as you undertake President Farley’s annual evaluation.