Recent tuition increases at Kansas University served to prevent a bad situation from getting worse, KU officials said this week.
But the tuition revenue won’t fill the hole left by all the budget cuts this year, said Danny Anderson, KU’s interim provost.
“We’re just not getting deeper,” he said.
The increase allowed KU to maintain its four-year guaranteed tuition compact — something that remains popular with students’ parents, Anderson said — and included mitigation against projected cuts.
However, Anderson estimated KU would have had to raise tuition 51 percent at the Medical Center campus and 14 percent on the Lawrence campus to make up for all the budget reductions and unfunded mandates on both campuses, which amount to more than a $36.6 million loss.
That will mean fewer course sections being offered and larger classes next semester on the KU campus. As faculty retirements and resignations come up this fiscal year, KU will face hard decisions about whether to replace them, Anderson said. KU already eliminated 55 faculty positions as part of earlier budget cuts.
The $9.8 million estimated revenue generated by tuition dollars was figured using enrollment data from several previous years, Anderson said. Though KU posted a record enrollment in fall 2008, the fall 2009 numbers are projected to taper off to pre-2008 levels, he said.
He attributed the drop-off to a declining number of Kansas high school graduates, but said KU could not handle a similarly sized increase to last year with the budget reductions already in place.
Anderson said for every fewer faculty member in some areas like allied health and nursing, that means those programs cannot admit as many students in order to maintain appropriate student-to-teacher ratios for accreditation purposes. Engineering also faces a similar situation, he said.
Mason Heilman, student body president and Lawrence senior, said that while he supported the tuition increases because of low state funding, things like larger class sizes and fewer course offerings were bad for students.
“I’m in education, so I can tell you that increasing class sizes benefits no one,” Heilman said, adding that a timid student may have a more difficult time getting up the nerve to ask a question in a classroom with more students than normal.
Deeper cuts — which remain a possibility — would likely further impact personnel, Anderson said. Layoffs would remain a last resort for the university, he added.
The university has investigated several different furlough plans under which employees would take a certain amount of unpaid leave, Anderson said, but it remains too early to tell if such measures would be needed.
In an earlier round of cuts, KU opted to avoid an approach that would have been more across-the-board, choosing instead to eliminate its Learning Communities office.
That program offered freshmen the opportunity to co-enroll in courses with a group of other students, and included small interactive learning groups with faculty and staff, along with social and other co-curricular activities.
The cost of the program ended up outweighing its benefit to students, and so cuts to other areas were spared, Anderson said.
In adjusting to meet previous budget cuts, KU has reduced spending in its administrative areas to prop up its academic areas, but Anderson said he didn’t think that trend could continue into the future if more cuts were ordered.
Comments
Shardwurm 3 years, 11 months ago
On behalf of those of us - the middle class that is - who are paying for this...you're welcome.
In exchange, how about making professors teach classes instead of grad students? Then at least we'll feel like we're paying for something worthwhile.
Nothing but a huge group of con artists. You figure you'll drop tuition when the budget situation stabilizes? Not likely. The education industry in America is breaking the backs of our children and they have no issues doing so. Thanks.
Orwell 3 years, 11 months ago
Wouldn't be that much of a problem if the Kansas Legislature's Know-Nothing Caucus were willing to make their Koch Industries buddies pony up a fair share for public education.
consumer1 3 years, 11 months ago
This is how bad management fixes it's problems. Dump the problem into the lap of the consumers. No problem, just raise the price of tuition. When are all the sheeple going to stand up against wasteful spending??????
vega 3 years, 11 months ago
porch-person you mean you can google all that didactics? or you mean online courses (somebody has to put them together - again by googling?)? Would you trust a plumber who was educated online (not to speak of surgeons, lawyers etc)
livingstone 3 years, 11 months ago
"Shardwurm (Anonymous) says… On behalf of those of us - the middle class that is - who are paying for this…you're welcome. In exchange, how about making professors teach classes instead of grad students? Then at least we'll feel like we're paying for something worthwhile."
Just like to clarify.... the additional money secured from research funding keeps tuition down, and the quality of faculties up, and make KU program more relevant to the outside world. At KU, all professors get feedback from students like "please teach and not research" etc. What students don't understand is that faculties go out to find research money, and thus improve the ranking of the schools, and make their curriculum more updated. If you think professors need to teach everything... maybe you should think about moving to a teaching university.
yourworstnightmare 3 years, 11 months ago
livingstone is absolutely correct.
Those who do not understand what a research university is spout off as if KU were a liberal arts teaching college.
We have plenty of those in Baker, Washburn, Pitt State, Emporia, Fort Hays, etc.
KU is a Research I research university. I suggest that those who do not understand what this is get some education before making fools of themselves (althuogh that has never stopped anyone on this forum in the past).
whatadrag 3 years, 11 months ago
I'm glad I have my tuition at the same cost each year for my 4 years
MyName 3 years, 11 months ago
@porch_person:
While I think there will be more online courses than before, it's not going to replace it for everyone and certainly not for every degree. This is especially true for areas of study that are relatively new and where they may not have very established ways of teaching it (of course these would be more likely to be taught by a professor in any case).
However, the bottom line is that more students are going to KU and other state institutions than have ever done before. It's kind of hard to say that they're offering something outdated when you look at the numbers.
What is happening, I think, is that people are leaving private schools for state schools because of the price break, and the people who are looking into online courses are either people doing continuing education, or people who may have looked at a community college or no college at all.
While online degrees are a substitute for some parts of college, people often go to college for the life experience and the chance to meet and learn from people who are interested in the same stuff you are. That's one of the things that online courses can't substitute for (as yet).
Kontum1972 3 years, 11 months ago
hmmm...... raise the rates at the High Roller-Hill Hotel..
mom_of_three 3 years, 11 months ago
porch-person - yes you can watch a lecture on your iphone, but you can't comment on the lecture, or interact with anyone. You can take quizzes over the internet, and it's also easier to cheat via the internet.
Although I am a non-traditional student, I choose to be in my class, and participate. I can ask my instructor a question, face to face, interact, and create a relationship with that person. I can interact with those around me. There is an environment in a classroom which can not be recreated in a bar.
But if you would rather be in a bar, then i would rather you stay there, and not interrupt my learning experience.
livingstone 3 years, 11 months ago
yourworstnightmare, thanks, and I suspect that you're a professor too...… adding on to your comments.. what students don't really know about professors at KU, and what makes research more time intensive than teaching.
At a teaching university, professors spent the entire day teach, and then have a more relaxed time at home after "work". They may offer more time for students for advising, as they don't have to do many other things..... like what a research university professors have to do.
At a research university, professors have to spent time supervise research, publish research papers, present papers at meetings, meet with people from the industry and academic fields to update one's knowledge, fly around to seek funding, host conferences, review papers, and sometimes, all these efforts come to nothing.... and take a lot of time. Most professors,even at the teaching universities find teaching much easier than research and publishing.
Just an example, for a professor to bring a guest lecturer to class, he/she needs to first establish the relationship with that person, and then find the right topic for that person to speak in class, and to make sure that the students learn in class. You won't get that kind of experience at the teaching universities, though the lecture notes from the professors at those universities may be better.... here, my teaching philosophy is let the students learn how to find out the information themselves (exactly where to find those information), and then teach them how to learn to apply the information themselves. of course, the argument is that if you can google, you can learn.... I don't think so. try Googling how to design an Aircraft carrier, or maybe A-380 online, so that you will have sufficient knowledge to actually design parts of that aircraft. Or maybe try to google and find out how to run a marketing department.... well... at the end, you will find that your learning experience in the KU classroom is enhanced because the faculties keep in touch with the industries, so rather than teaching you how to design a 1940 plane, you will learn how an A-380 is designed. so now tell me, how can a professor learn so much information outside if he/she doesn't have a TA? or graduate students to help him do all the research? if any of the students have a better idea, you could probably propose to the dean, chancellor... chances are... we've already thought about that...
well, because we were undergraduate students and graduate students before... do you know?
Shardwurm 3 years, 11 months ago
Livingstone:
LOL!
Thanks for spewing the garbage so well. I'm glad you're doing well as a professor. Your 'contributions' to education will not go un-noticed.
The truth is the educational industry is a corrupt monopoly and it should be ashamed of what it is doing to our children.
Say what you will...some of us know the truth.
livingstone 3 years, 11 months ago
Shardwurm (Anonymous) says… "some of us know the truth."
What truth? Some people are simply confused between truth and lies, facts and fabricated facts, etc.... education industry is not a "monopoly". If you have the choice and money, you have the choice of going to Emporia State University or KU. Or you may even chose to go to China or Germany. It's entirely your choice. Corrupt? What makes the education industry corrupt? You mean we professors pass bribes around? Or you get good grades because you pay me more money? If you get a lousy grade, well, that's what you earn, that doesn't mean you're a lousy person, or a great person.
Your point of view is entirely... naive and childish... you've not worked in the industry before..... if you have gone through the industry, you will begin to realize that corruption and monopolies... are different than your perspectives. If our children hate to read (being pampered so much at school), yet, professors have to give in to these students, and not impose compulsory reading in class. Your truth is way too naive... grow up a little bit more.
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