Administrators request money for next year

JUSTIN COMBS
Senior Writer
seniorwriter@occc.edu

College administrators made their case for funding projects in a budget hearing Feb. 15 in the Al Snipes Boardroom.

Each department explained its needs and why they fits in with the mission of the college for next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

This is the first of four steps of the planning process in preparing for the upcoming fiscal year, said Stu Harvey, executive director for Planning and Research.

It’s a useful process, Harvey said, because it raises everybody’s awareness of where the college is putting its resources and why.

“We’re trying to match up what we want to and have to do with how we’re spending the money next year,” Harvey said.

A list of proposals was provided to those who attended. A small group of college administrators, faculty and staff were at the presentation, which lasted from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Marion Paden, vice president for Enrollment and Student Services, proposed an Emergency Loan Program that would allow students to take out small short-term loans.

The reason for the proposal, Paden said, is some students can have a short-term financial crisis that affects their ability to attend school.

“I would like to be able to provide students an avenue by which a student can request a short-term emergency loan for unforeseen expenses that adversely impact their ability to go to school,” Paden said.

She said some faculty and staff have loaned $10 or $15 to students for expenses like gas and food.

Paden said Student Services wants to set up a system that could help all students.

“I just wish there was a more formal method to provide that kind of support for our students,” she said.

Student Services also asked for an 18 percent increase in funds — $13,000 — for student activities to accommodate the growing number of students, Paden said.

“The challenge is we have more students on campus participating in student activities,” Paden said. “So we need more of the supplies and support for the increase.”

Institutional Advancement asked for $15,000 to cover the rate increases of the college’s current advertisement on billboards and television across the metro, said Pat Berryhill, Institutional Advancement executive director.

“We buy a package throughout the year,” Berryhill said. “We are facing a $6,000 rate increase to maintain the college’s current advertising schedule.”

Harvey said the next step for each department is to provide a list of its initiatives to the president’s cabinet. The cabinet will then decide how important each proposal is.

“We rate each other’s initiatives with one being the lowest priority and five being the highest,” Harvey said.

He said a list of the high priority items will be discussed March 1, but no final decision will be made.

“Things change and we don’t really know what the fiscal situation in the state is going to be just yet,” Harvey said.

Then, he said, the budgeting cycle commences.

“Dr. Sechrist and the Board of Regents will then make a decision on which initiatives to fund,” Harvey said.

He said there is some pressure on the college’s budget because of a decrease in state appropriations, but the college is in better shape than most institutions.

“Our payroll costs are typically a lower percent of the overall budget, in the 70 to 75 percent range, versus 90 plus percent for many community colleges,” he said. “This gives us a lot of flexibility in tight times.”

The college budget is expected to remain at the same level as this year or fall below, because of shortfalls in state revenue, Harvey said.

The proposed initiatives will go before the Board of Regents when the college receives its budget from the state, Harvey said.

He said the regents will decide which proposals to approve sometime in May or June.