Topeka — Kansas higher education officials Thursday warned that an uncertain economic future may result in a no-growth budget.
"We have a national problem," said Kansas Board of Regents member Jarold "Jerry" Boettcher, of Beloit, as he mentioned some states that were preparing to cut funding to public colleges.
The regents, which governs higher education in Kansas, will meet Aug. 19-21 in Wichita for a retreat to discuss the budget proposal it will take to the Legislature for the 2009 legislative session that starts in January.
Boettcher and other regents decried the fact that state governments were sending fewer tax dollars to higher education institutions as a percentage of overall state budgets.
"We are on the cusp of an academic crisis," he said.
Regents members said they had been forced to shift costs to students and parents in the form of tuition increases.
During the past legislative session, higher education received a $30 million increase, or 3.6 percent, while overall state funding increased 4.4 percent.
Regents staff members have proposed a "keeping up" budget to track inflation, which would require a 4 percent, or $32 million increase. But even that could be in jeopardy.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' budget director Duane Goossen said, "We're headed for a challenging budget."
He said he told university business officers that the 2010 fiscal year, which starts July 1, 2009, could be a no-growth budget "at best."
In recent months, state revenues have fallen below expectations, and the national economy continues to sputter. "There are a number of open-ended factors that we are going to be watching," Goossen said.
In other business, the regents elected new leaders. Donna Shank, of Liberal, will become chairwoman, replacing Christine Downey-Schmidt, of Inman. Jill Docking, of Wichita, will become vice chairwoman, replacing Shank.
Comments
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bondmen (anonymous) says…
How can universities and colleges around the country continue to raise their prices to students above the rate of inflation year in and year out? Government (i.e., taxpayer) subsidies is the answer; robbing Peter to pay Paula. It's time taxpayers closed the checkbook to spend and spend schools!State and local governments will very soon be on the financial diet the vast majority of Americans currently are on. This diet will last for years. Control your expenses, eliminate inefficiencies and streamline your administration. Do it NOW!
cait48 (anonymous) says…
My tax dollars go to support KU, a state university with a tuition schedule higher than some private colleges. My children will never go there unless they place themselves in debt until they turn 40 yet I help pay for Bill Self's multi million dollar contract and the president of the college's seven figure salary. Personally I think the responsibility for "Harvard on the Kaw" should go to Johnson County where it belongs.
MCwzMC (anonymous) says…
cait48 - You got it wrong. Kansas Athletics Inc. pays Self's salary. Most of Self's actual "income" comes from endorsements, multimedia contracts, etc. Kansas basketball and football also generate the money that funds the other university sports that don't generate any net income. Ultimately, the money Mangino and Self's teams generate more than compensates for their salaries. As for KU being more expensive than a private school, I'd like to see one example. In my experience, KU is still a great value compared to other public and private institutions. Although it, like almost all other public instituions, has become increasingly expensive.
deskboy04 (anonymous) says…
Why is there a crisis? Because some guy from Beloit says there is!
LJD230 (anonymous) says…
Can the state of Kansas continue to support it's inventory of Board of Regent's institutions at the expense of KU and KSU? The answer is clearly no.Will the Board of Regents and elected officials in Kansas have the courage to begin a conversation about how state supported higher education is financed and configured? Hopefully some of the issues they might address are these:1. increasing admission requirements to KU and KSU and building them into true national universities like Michigan, Wisconsin, Berkley, Texas, North Carolina and Virginia.2. downsizing and/or closing the remaining four year schools and under performing community colleges and merging unique programs into KU and KSU as appropriate;3. improving the educational experience at community colleges to prepare Kansas kids for admission to the two enhanced national universities in Kansas or out of state schools;4, marketing KU and KSU to attract a higher proportion of non-Kansas kids to help offset resident tuition increases.This may sound terribly draconian and even elitist but the conversation is necessary if Kansas wants to take the same pride in higher education as it does in an occasional Orange Bowl trophy or b ball championship. And it is certainly possible for a great national university to have both a great academic and athletic reputation.
jafs (anonymous) says…
My main concern is the quality of the education received.
deskboy04 (anonymous) says…
There is no crisis. The assumption that there is one comes from a person that the additional funding would benefit.
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VTHawk (anonymous) says…
Just a couple of observations:If times are so tough, why is the State budget increasing by 4.4%?My college (private) was FAR more expensive than KU ($48,000 p/y) but some elite private colleges are free. Others have great financial aid offerings. If your kids work hard in high school, there should be some scholarship opportunities to offset some of the costs of KU's tuition.
ronwell_dobbs (anonymous) says…
"Name ONE remotely respectable private college that charges less tuition than KU. One."OK - the Ronwell Post-Secondary School for the Comfort of Lonely Co-eds.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Everyone has this all wrong, you mistakenly think KU is about education, and that is simply not true. KU is about the business of making money. What used to take four years now takes five. What a great scam. An extra 10 grand out of every student. and They just keep twisting the screws while they spend helter skelter on frivolous waste.F.A. Holes
moderationman (anonymous) says…
Just a few minor points...The student fees for Kansas Athletics Inc., are for the women's boathouse and non-revenue sports. This fee helps keep the cost of the student sports pass reasonable and grants free admission to all sports except football and men's basketball.KU is not the lowest priced major university in the US. In fact it is nowhere near the least expensive. The SUNY system in New York, approximately 430,000 students, is less per hour for NY residents. KU is competitve price wize with most of its neighbors, and less expensive than many. The problem is and has always been with a legislature that refuses to fund needs let alone wants.The Kansas legislature has for years neglected maintenance. Even after a special "catch up" provision, less than 1/2 of needed deferred maintenance was funded. given the age of most of the buildings on campus, this will become worse before it get better.When I was first a student, the state's share of tuition was 2/3 - 3/4. Today that number has fallen to around 1/4. So not only have real costs increased, but the state has in essence decreased the real dollars spent on higher education. Universities have only one choice left, and that is to ask for increases in tuition. Even then, at KU, approximately 20% of the increase goes into financial aid for students.Should there be higher admission standards for KU? Absolutely. Will it happen? Not as long as the legislature is controlled by our current Speaker and Senate leaders. They could care less about higher education and the return of the State's dollars invested in same. All they seem to care about is the state Chamber of Commerce.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Moderationman says, "The Kansas legislature has for years neglected maintenance. Even after a special "catch up" provision, less than 1/2 of needed deferred maintenance was funded. given the age of most of the buildings on campus, this will become worse before it get better". Why then don't they take away the facitlities operations dept. The painting dept, the carpentry depts, the electrical and plumbing depts and quit funding jobs that apparently don't do anything except draw a paycheck. I would bet the budget for these departments who are supposed to be maintaining the buildings are in the Millions. So , if they are not maintaining the buildings fire them>>> and use that budget for education instead on continually raising tuition.
valgrlku (anonymous) says…
I paid super cheap tuition when I was an undergrad (about $800/semester for as many hours as one wanted, including those "fees" for 90% of services/programs that I never once used). Now, as a doctoral student, my tuition is 4-5X that for 6-9 hours without any substantial improvement in facilities (just take a look at Fraser - the rooms look like they should be in a prison) or teaching quality. Those "fees" are the ones that really chap my rear - I've paid god knows how much on the rec. center and its never-ending improvements and so many other programs, without once having ever been in the building or using them. I swear, I feel like I should have partial ownership in most of the departments and buildings on campus, at this point (or at least a really sweet parking space - a la Van Wilder!).
deskboy04 (anonymous) says…
Still not sure what the crisis is.
moderationman (anonymous) says…
Poor Jack, can't read what is written. The AD uses the funds from students to reduce the cost of admission to football and men's basketball as well as paying for the women's rowing boathouse, period.As for F&O, what part of deferred maintenance do folks not understand. KU is given X dollars for maintenance which is typically millions less than what is needed for upkeep. Thus, you have, across the big three, about $1/2 Billion in deferred maintenance. Stuff that was left unfunded for decades.
deskboy04 (anonymous) says…
I don't want to give them any more of my money. If they want more money they should get it somewhere else.
commuter (anonymous) says…
I know a great way to help solve this state funded education budget problem. Here is my idea-Put Wesealman ( Rep for Public School) and Hemmingway (Rep for Higher ed) in a room with 1 rep from every other group wanting money from the state budget. Then look at every one and say- these two people receive more than 1/2 of the state budget and they want more. You guys sort it out. See how fast these two start crying like little babies. I bet we could actually charge admission for that event.
toe (anonymous) says…
Use athletics to raise the money.
Centerville (anonymous) says…
Crisis: "an uncertain economic future [for private citizens] may result in a no-growth budget [at the public trough]". This dire warning brought to you by the "Feed the Government First" higher ed coalition.
none2 (anonymous) says…
The Universities in Kansas have a problem in that they don't try to make the most out of what they have. Why didn't KU do like higher education schools in places like Phoenix and go online? They could have gotten a lot more money getting people from around the country (even maybe the world) to take classes based at the KU Campus. Instead they spent HUGE amounts of money on the Edwards campus. Sure you cannot teach labs and such "on-hands" courses online, but there are a lot of classes you can. Not every young person wants to physically locate to Lawrence, and many adults for whatever reasons are stuck where they live. They lost a great opportunity to bring IN money without having to build an entirely new campus.As to people who think most don't need a college degree. I'm sure the people like the Chinese and Indians are laughing their heads off. One day we will be making widgets for them since we decided that education was for a minority of people. I don't want my doctor, my vet, my pharmacist, my lawyer, etc to start working on me, my pets, or whatever I need there services for after a couple of years of junior college. The future is with more and more jobs that require us to use our heads and that takes a lot of education.
clyde_never_barks (anonymous) says…
I would think Regent Shank would have something to say about this. Maybe the Internet is down in southwest Kansas today.
Godot (anonymous) says…
There is so much money in the budget. Let the electorate decide whether funding for higher education trumps funding for K-12 education and medicare.
oxandale (anonymous) says…
go washburn! Thankfully it isnt affiliated with the board of regetns, it is the last "city university" (supported primarily by the city, not state).
lcneece (anonymous) says…
http://www.kansasregents.org/institut... Washburn came under the Board of Regents sometime during the 90's.
oxandale (anonymous) says…
Iceneece-You are right on that one. I attended wasburn in mid 1990's and at that time, it stil wasnt with them (there were talks of it joining, but nothing official). As you can see, I havent kept up with that information.