Executive Director's View
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Taking on the Sacred Cow
By Bob Hassmiller
Two surveys of Chief Financial Officers reported in both "The Chronicle of Higher Education" and "Inside Higher Education" report similar finding. Among those findings are:
1. All of higher education is definitely NOT out of the financial woods yet and probably won’t be in 2012. In fact, projections suggest that it could take an additional three to four years before state funding levels return to pre-2008 levels,
2. Cost cutting among administrative units have contributed the most reductions in staff or costs; and,
3. Among many cost cutting devices most institutions have reduced their budgets the least among academic programs through any combinations of cuts in full-time faculty, increased workloads, or elimination of low usage classes.
Community colleges are facing several major continuing problems. Federal Tarp subsidies are gone. State aid continues its decline. Many state funding cuts in 2012 will take another 15-25% out of an already lower base. Local municipalities are just as strapped as the states. Student tuition has already seen near record increases during the last two years and is poised to see possible double digit increases for 2012. While tuition and fees increase, federal budget cuts are discussing the reduction of Pell Grants and further reduction of available scholarship to the needy and underserved.
Community colleges have had more problems with academic reductions than four year institutions because of their huge enrollment gains in the last three years. Some have offered retirement incentives and found that their best and brightest left first, sometimes creating recruitment problems for their remaining programs.
It’s time to discuss the "sacred cow" of improving academic efficiencies. As such, CCBO at its annual conference in September will examine all the current surveys and work in behalf of higher education and community colleges, and attack together all of the challenges presently facing chief business officers at community colleges. But we will especially focus on how to increase efficiency and maintain academic quality in behalf of our academic mission.
Now, more than ever, community college business officers need to partner with the entire institution to maintain our pre-eminent place in our higher education community. There will be many more cutting edge courses at the annual conference.
Plan now to combine with your colleagues and join us September 17-20, 2011, at the Marriott Louisville Downtown. Your ROI from CCBO for your institution is more important than ever. Further information can be found on our website a www.ccbo.org.
Dr. Bob Hassmiller, CAE
Executive Director
Community College Business Officers (CCBO)
3 Boar's Head Lane, Suite B
Charlottesville, VA 22903-4610
Phone: 434.293.2825 x222
Fax: 434.245.8453
Email: bob@ccbo.org
www.ccbo.org
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