Student Senate representative to the Budget Committee Bonny Eyer attended Blackburn College’s Budget Committee meeting last week to discuss a new budget proposal for the 2018 fiscal year. The proposal would see an increase in the total budget from $13.4 million to $14.2 million by making some significant changes to how money is currently spent.
Several departments would receive budgetary cuts according to this proposal, which would decrease the operating deficit from $474,000 to $252,000.
“There are some increases in expenditures that are either beyond our control or a huge priority to us,” said President John Comerford. “For example, rising costs of health insurance, making sure our faculty and staff compensation keeps pace with inflation or increasing the value of the Work Program tuition credit.”
Proposed cuts could impact the Campus Activities Board (CAB), Residence Life (Res. Life), Student Senate and Arts and Issues.
“This recommendation that I made is not solely based on our need for budget cuts,” said Budget Committee Chair and Vice President for Administration and Finance Steve Morris. “I would base this recommendation regardless of what our budget status is.”
Some students have voiced their objections to these cuts.“I think it’s completely asinine to cut those areas,” said Eyer. “I think it’ll drive [students] away to where they have stuff to do in their hometowns.”
The total budget for student activities would be decreased from approximately $159,000 to $102,000 next year. Students are charged $350 annually for a student activities fee. Through this proposed budget the portion of this fee that is allocated for student activities would be reduced by roughly 46 percent.
Retention rates are one of the major areas of concern for Student Senate in regards to the proposed department cuts. According to Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs Heidi Heinz, only 65 percent of freshmen were retained this year (the same percentage as last year, but up from 62 percent the previous year).
“We talk about retention rates quite often and how we can keep students here,” said Eyer. “The activities we do are one of them. I mean Platinum Bingo and Casino Night were big hits.We show movies all the time. The movie on the quad last semester was a huge hit.” These activities will likely be impacted by the proposed budget cuts.
Student Senate generated a petition in response to these cuts with hopes that Budget Committee will reconsider their proposal.
“We wanted to be more proactive,” said Eyer. “So when I brought back this information and presented it all to Senate last Sunday, they did not like what they saw. And neither do Dr. Armstrong or Heidi Heinz who sponsor us or supervise us I guess.”
The petition garnered 297 signatures before it was presented at Monday’s cabinet meeting. Signatures came from both students and faculty. The Budget Committee meets again Tuesday, April 11.
“It’s important to note that there is nothing that is being cut yet,” said Morris. “We are talking about this. We are having an open discussion.”
Though the Budget Committee hopes to finalize the budget by the end of the month, it cannot be approved officially until the June 3 board meeting.