With Centralia College facing the task of trying to figure out how to cut costs without adversely affecting students, teachers there are trying to figure out what they could do without in the classroom as they could face a more severe budget shortfall than anticipated.
Vice President of Finance and Administration Steve Ward confirmed Wednesday that administrators have asked faculty members to perform an audit of the programs and classes they offer, and submit a “priority list” that would detail what programs they believe could be cut from their classrooms in an effort that could save the most money while at the same time affecting the lowest number of students.
“It’s another one of those times when we’re looking over every single thing we can cut with minimal impact,” Ward said. “This time, it’s the programs that impact fewer students that could have the greatest chance of being reduced.”
The news comes roughly a week after Gov. Chris Gregoire signed off on several measures designed to cut the state deficit. In one of those measures, the state approved a $700,000 cut from Centralia College’s 2010-11 supplemental budget — roughly $300,000 of which was cut due to voluntary staff reductions and attrition, and the remainder of which was covered by increases in student tuition, according to Ward.
“When it gets to the point where it starts affecting students to where they’re paying more and could see fewer programs offered, it’s extremely difficult to deal with,” Ward said. “Every student we reach is important, and to have to cut programs is like creating cracks in a foundation that someone could fall into.”
Ward lamented the fact the college hasn’t received a solid number from the state government, but estimated the college could be on the hook for $500,000 in additional cuts from the next biennium depending on deliberations at the state level.
Centralia College had held budget forums and asked staff for ideas to close the gap on a previously proposed $1.1 million deficit in the 2011-12 biennium. Ward said the proposed increase in that shortfall is what touched off the need for faculty to crunch some numbers in their own classrooms.
“Right now, we’re not saying what is or isn’t going to get cut for sure, and hopefully we won’t even have that much of an additional shortfall,” Ward said. “We’re simply asking all our faculty to come together, brainstorm and figure out the best economical solution for our staff and students, and it’s kudos to them for being able to do so and keep teaching the way they have.”
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Christopher Brewer: (360) 807-8235
