| Reduced Funding
It's been called Colorado's "perfect fiscal storm."
The result of the unforeseen interplay of the Taxpayer's Bill
of Rights (TABOR) and Amendment 23, this "storm"
has resulted in a significant decrease in public higher education
funding, particularly during the past few years.
At Mesa State College, where 60 percent of its overall budget
comes from the state, general fund support has decreased by
over a half million dollars since 2001. At the same, the College
has enrolled more than 700 new students and faced rapidly
rising insurance, maintenance and utility costs. However,
by fully utilizing current resources, the College has been
able to maintain its quality of education and its student-focused
learning environment. Under President Tim Foster's leadership,
the College was also able to overcome a $1.4 million budget
deficit this academic year. Administrative expenditures now
account for just over four percent of Mesa State's budget,
making its administrative structure one of the leanest in
the state.
Yet, the College cannot continue to make budget cuts without
affecting its ability to serve as western Colorado's designated
regional education provider. The question is where will the
needed funds come from? Due to TABOR and Amendment 23's mandated
increases in funding for K-12 education, Mesa State will not
receive additional financial support from the state general
fund and is also strictly limited in its ability to raise
tuition. With student enrollment now at record levels, the
College is maximizing its resources to serve more students
without a corresponding increase in funds.
This is primarily the result of TABOR's ratchet effect. The
state's Joint Budget Committee (JBC) sets the higher education
fund base and any subsequent increase is based on predicted
population growth plus the rate of inflation. When a recession
occurs, this base decreases. Even when the economy rebounds,
the base fund must remain at this lower level and can only
increase at the rate of predicted population growth plus inflation.
This limits the state's ability to reinvest in higher education
even when the economy is growing.
To compound the negative impact of the ratchet effect, the
initial fund base does not accurately reflect the increase
in students pursuing public higher education. In fact, Mesa
State is essentially being punished for its robust student
growth. The JBC predicted the College's enrollment would only
grow by .9 percent this academic year. Actual fall enrollment
of 6,181 students exceeded this projection by 6.3 percent.
Unless the JBC projection is adjusted, the "excess"
funds created by these additional students' tuition must be
returned to the state's general fund.
While these TABOR restrictions will ease when Mesa State
is granted enterprise status next year, the ratchet effect
will continue to affect higher education in the years to come.
To protect the future of Colorado's public colleges and universities,
voters will need to support a de-Brucing ballot question that
limits the ratchet effect and allows the state to reinvest
in public higher education. Mesa State College was founded
by the region's citizens for the region's citizens and its
financial future now resides in their hands and those of their
fellow Coloradoans.
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Reducing Expenses
In a move designed to save money and bring decision-making
closer to the front lines, Mesa State has flattened its administrative
structure by eliminating three dean positions. Instead of
reporting to deans, the 13 department heads, formerly department
chairpersons, will take on new management duties and report
directly to the associate vice president of academic affairs.
It is estimated the change will save the College about $500,000.
Mesa State President Tim Foster made
the move after a six-person committee that included faculty,
department heads and a former dean studied the existing dean
model and compared it with the so-called "dean-less"
models that are being used at other colleges. The committee
found that both models have strengths and weaknesses and,
in fact, split the vote 3-3 on whether the change should be
made. Foster further examined the issues and decided the time
was right for a change. "By flattening the administrative
structure, the theory is we will get better and quicker decision-making
as the 'action' would be closer to the faculty and faculty
input would be more direct. After additional research into
the management models used by other colleges, it became clear
that transitioning to a less bureaucratic management model
would be a better use of Mesa State's limited resources,"
Foster said.
No one lost a job in the restructuring.
One dean, John Rogers of the School of Business and Professional
Studies, had already resigned. A second, Janine Rider of the
School of Humanities, decided to retire, return to teaching
part-time and work on outreach and fundraising efforts. The
third, Duane Hrncir, former dean of the School of Natural
Sciences and Mathematics, was named associate vice president
in the Office of Academic Affairs.
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