NSU trims another $1.64 million from budget

Though Nicholls State University can survive its most recent state funding slash, come the Fall of 2010, the university might not be so lucky.

The State of Louisiana is looking at additional budget cuts that could total nearly $400 million in less than two years.

According to Nicholls Associate Provost Lawrence Howell, Gov. Bobby Jindal may give the Postsecondary Education Review Commission the authority to trim another $147 million from Louisiana’s higher education state funding.

“With these anticipated drastic cuts, it becomes very difficult for higher education institutions – including technical schools, community colleges and universities – to provide the education and graduates that support the high end economic development of the region and the state,” University President Stephen Hulbert said in a release. “We will do what needs to be done, but it cannot be without a high cost to our region and the state.”

According to the Associated Press, the cuts come as state officials are seeking to shore up $248 million in a midyear budget shortfall. The cuts were made to plug a $1.3 billion state-level shortfall.

Universities around Louisiana hoped the Stelly Plan would continue to garner revenue for the state to gave higher education reprieve from budget cuts. But, the Legislature decided to eliminate the plan in the last governmental session, taking away more than $350 million in revenues.

Howell said the Legislature opted to eliminate the plan in an effort to decrease taxes.

In return, the state is planning to cut higher education for the third time in a year.

Nicholls reported they’ve seen a 17 percent, or $6.1 million reduction in its state funding since January 2009. The new cuts came two days before Christmas.

The University of Louisiana System advised Nicholls that it would have to share the burden of reducing its budget accommodate for an $83.9 million cut. Howell said Nicholls’ portion is $1.64 million, 5 percent of its state-funding budget.

Hulbert met with his staff to devise a plan that would have the least impact on the students. To trim the budget in a matter of two weeks was a daunting task for the university, he said. However, the university had sort of anticipated the cut, especially after it took a midyear cut in the 2008-09 school term.

Back in July, Howell said the university did not project an enrollment increase for the fall. He said with the increase of nearly 250 students, the university was able to shore up $600,000 that was supplemented in the 2009-10 budget.

The university also instituted a campus-wide hiring freeze shortly after the January 2009 cut. Howell said the money that was not spent on faculty and staff salaries factored in another $700,000.

The remainder of the balance, he said, may have to come from the university’s accumulated savings.

“Nicholls was very conservative with its spending and we have been able to sustain the cut this time. But, we will continue hold tight,” he said. “The university does not want to have to eliminate any more programs or courses that will derail the students. We don’t want to put more on our faculty that we already have.”

The university eliminated 50 support staff positions and seven of its degree programs coming into the Fall of 2009.

Nicholls has submitted its budget cut plan to the University of Louisiana System. Now, the university is in a holding pattern, waiting to see if the Governor’s Office accepts the plan of action.

“The state still wants us to maintain a quality education at the National Southern Average,” Howell said. “How can we do that if we keep getting budget cuts of this magnitude? In the end, the state is going to have to realize that you get what you pay for. If you want quality education, then stop taking the funds we need to operate.”

The budget cut concerns are not just a four-year institutions issue, two-year colleges and technical schools are seeing reductions in their state funding also. Howell said their funding is very critical because they supply the state with its immediate workforce.

“The state wants them to develop component, skilled laborers, but who can they went they are working with less money,” he said. “Either the state wants to have a workforce that is qualified to do their job, or a bunch of employees that have half the knowledge needed to do a specific job. One way or the other, they will have to choose which benefits the state more.”

“Even with the budget cuts Nicholls will continue to do what it takes to place its students’ progression first,” Howell added. “It’s going to be hard, but we will continue to maintain a quality education system here.”

The Tri-parish area has two operating two-year systems, Fletcher Technical and Community College in Houma and Louisiana Technical College (Young’s Memorial Campus) in Morgan City. Their budget cuts were not released as of press time.