News Release 08-103-D

UCC Board received overall view of budget, cuts from administration

	News Release 08-103-D	For more information:
	Release date: 03/19/09	Bentley Gilbert
	For immediate release	(541) 440-7747
	http://www.umpqua.edu/ 

UCC Board received overall view of budget, cuts from administration

The Umpqua Community College Board of Trustees received an overall view of a proposed balanced budget for 2009-10 from the College’s administration at a work session just prior to their regular meeting last night.

The proposed budget draft, totaling $22,846,660 still must go through the regular budget process, including a vote by the College’s 14-member budget committee of the seven Board members and seven public members. The current, 2008-09 budget totals $23,327,603 and representing a $1,395,000 cut from the current budget amount, necessitated by the state and national economy and declining revenue from several streams. Since this is a work session, no action was taken by the Board.

“Our first concern is maintaining services to students,” said UCC President Blaine Nisson. “These are unprecedented times for most of us working in education. These are big cuts. That’s why we felt this preview with our Board is necessary. But, we cut a lot with minimal impact on students.”

One of the biggest reductions in revenue comes from an expected $440 million (statewide) in the Community College Operations Fund from the 2009 Oregon State Legislature. This amount compares to $500 million in the current state budget. (Even that $500 million was only the budgeted amount; UCC was required to return $251,000 of the amount it was scheduled to receive this year from it current budget once the economic difficulties began.)

One of the largest cuts in the proposed budget the College’s Board will preview tonight comes from $255,000 in Administrative Services resulting from some personnel reductions as well as cuts in services and supplies, the swimming pool will be closed EXCEPT for the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day, and changes to the computer replacement schedule. Budget-wide, 4.75 classified positions have been eliminated.

In Instruction, reductions result in part in a change in the way academic departments are administered – without impacting student contact. The largest single reduction results from suspending a single program: digital systems technology (DST). That program has five students winter term, is not presently growing and faces little demand for its graduates, in large part because high technology firms, such as Intel, are not hiring. (Importantly, the program is being suspended. The curriculum remains and the program may be reinstated during the next three years if the economy recovers or a demand for its graduates reappears.)

To help balance the budget, administrators and exempt staff will get no pay raises in both 2009-10 and 2010-11. Additionally, professional development funds for administrators and exempt staff have been eliminated. Represented faculty and classified staff will continue to get step increases as agreed to in their contracts.

In another area, the athletic department is proposed to become more self-sufficient. That would save $51,000 in general fund public monies.

Also, $700,000 of the current ending balance will be used to offset costs in the next two years ($350,000 in each year).

Finally, this proposed budget calls for a $3 per credit per term tuition increase. However, at that, UCC’s proposed tuition increase is among the lowest among the 17 community colleges in Oregon. Among those that have announced tuition changes – all but three – the increases range from $10 (two colleges) and $9 (two) and $8 (one) to $4 (one) to $3 (three in addition to UCC) to $2 (two colleges).

“Our budget process begins with every employee on campus,” President Nisson said. “We all put the student first. This proposed budget draft also meets our obligations to the public, to our faculty and staff, and to economic reality at this time.”

For more information, contact Bentley Gilbert, UCC community relations director, at 541.440.7747 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .