2008 Woodie Awards
Possible recession would put strain on university
Administration announces a projected deficit of $3 million, proposes eliminating the gold parking lot near Blakeslee
by Brittney Hansen
Issue date: 2/14/08
Section: Campus News
Vice President of Finance and Administration Rick Straka gave a tuition presentation before student senate Wednesday.
Straka said that without any increased student enrollment, the university is facing a deficit of $3 million.
According to Straka, there is still one wild card to consider: the state economic forecast to be given by the Minnesota Department of Finance in the next few weeks.
"If we are a state in a recession … there's going to be a pretty significant deficit for next year," he added.
Straka said he did not think that this economic forecast would affect the current fiscal year budget.
"In 20 years, I've not seen as much gloom and doom headed into an economic forecast as this year," Straka said.
Despite these projections, administration still intends to push forward with the outdoor recreation proposal. MSSA and administration held their open forum on the proposal Wednesday. According to Vice President Casey Carmody, reactions were generally favorable.
Straka added that administration has a tentative agreement in bargaining with the Faculty Association, however, they are still involved in talks with another bargaining unit.
MSSA, in conjunction with MSUSA, has been lobbying for a one-percent tuition buy-down to reach a goal of a tuition increase of three percent.
• Senator Nathan Madden raised concerns about the proposal to be addressed by the parking advisory committee.
The proposal would eliminate the gold lot near Blakeslee Stadium, one of the few gold lots students have a chance to get a space in. Faculty and staff hold a lottery each year in order to be eligible for gold parking spaces before the student lottery is held in April. This process leaves students with very slim chances of getting a gold space as it is.
Sen. Andy Wilke said the proposal would eliminate many handicap parking spaces at the stadium and the lack of parking is a concern for many off-campus students already.
• Director of Student Health Services Christine Connolly gave a budget presentation to MSSA Wednesday.
"We provide medical and educational services that are affordable to every student so that they can achieve their academic success," Connolly said.
Student Health Services provides acute care, chronic care, immunology, prescription medications, hematology, microbiology, urinalysis, over-the-counter medication, pharmacy contracts and health insurance. Student Health Services and the Student Health PROS programs also provide education in classrooms, residence halls and in the community on nutrition, drugs and alcohol, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and birth control.
The total budget for Health Services from 2007 to 2008 is about $2.3 million, with 56 percent of the budget coming from student fees. Laboratory revenue provides $95,000 and pharmacy revenue provides $295,000 of the total budget with the rest coming from various procedures, grants and general funding. Any surplus will be put back into the budget for next year.
Connolly said this year is the last for social-norming grant targeting binge drinking.
"When the grant ends, that's going to be a lot more difficult to do because we don't have a pool of money for that," she said.
She added they would be requesting funding for a registered nurse. Staff currently includes three medical doctors and two family nurse practitioners, as well as a pharmacist, dietitian, two laboratory technicians and other office personnel.
Student health services will also request a full-time psychiatrist rather than a part-time psychiatrist next year. Connolly said they are seeing more students with psychiatric related concerns, especially with so many returning veterans. According to Connolly, the year before MSU had a psychiatrist available there were two suicides on campus.
"Clearly you can never have a guarantee for that, but at least we have a contact person that's a resource that's a phone call away," she said.
In other senate news:
• After review by Academic Affairs, MSSA passed a motion to approve the current Mathematics Placement Policy as it stands, meaning students are automatically assigned to MATH 98 unless they have an ACT score on the math portion of 19 or higher.
• A motion was passed to leave the Transfer of Technical Credits Policy as it stands and raise the number of transferable credits from 16 to 32.
• A motion was passed after review by Academic Affairs to leave the Undergraduate Extended Learning Student Admission Policy as it currently stands.
• SAC recommended allocating $640 out of a possible $1,000 to cover Club Baseball fees to enter Tampa Spring Training for 20 players over spring break. The reason for the reduced funds is that the team will play four games over a five day period.
• SAC recommended allocating $600 to MSU Habitat for Humanity to travel to Beaumont, Texas to build homes for low-income people over spring break.
• SAC recommended allocating $310 to Mankato Student Nurse Association for eight students to attend the National Student Nurse Association convention in Grapevine, Texas March 25-29. The group fundraised $2,710 by hosting a barbeque and other events earlier this year.
• SAC recommended allocating $500 of SOAFC funds to the Muslim Student Association for Islamic Awareness Week. The total cost of the event is more than $6,000, which includes two speakers, a documentary film and food. MSA will be collaborating with other departments such as Cultural Diversity and 200-300 students are expected to participate.
• There is still a vacancy in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Last vacancy elections for this year will be held Wednesday.
Brittney Hansen is a Reporter assistant news editor
Straka said that without any increased student enrollment, the university is facing a deficit of $3 million.
According to Straka, there is still one wild card to consider: the state economic forecast to be given by the Minnesota Department of Finance in the next few weeks.
"If we are a state in a recession … there's going to be a pretty significant deficit for next year," he added.
Straka said he did not think that this economic forecast would affect the current fiscal year budget.
"In 20 years, I've not seen as much gloom and doom headed into an economic forecast as this year," Straka said.
Despite these projections, administration still intends to push forward with the outdoor recreation proposal. MSSA and administration held their open forum on the proposal Wednesday. According to Vice President Casey Carmody, reactions were generally favorable.
Straka added that administration has a tentative agreement in bargaining with the Faculty Association, however, they are still involved in talks with another bargaining unit.
MSSA, in conjunction with MSUSA, has been lobbying for a one-percent tuition buy-down to reach a goal of a tuition increase of three percent.
• Senator Nathan Madden raised concerns about the proposal to be addressed by the parking advisory committee.
The proposal would eliminate the gold lot near Blakeslee Stadium, one of the few gold lots students have a chance to get a space in. Faculty and staff hold a lottery each year in order to be eligible for gold parking spaces before the student lottery is held in April. This process leaves students with very slim chances of getting a gold space as it is.
Sen. Andy Wilke said the proposal would eliminate many handicap parking spaces at the stadium and the lack of parking is a concern for many off-campus students already.
• Director of Student Health Services Christine Connolly gave a budget presentation to MSSA Wednesday.
"We provide medical and educational services that are affordable to every student so that they can achieve their academic success," Connolly said.
Student Health Services provides acute care, chronic care, immunology, prescription medications, hematology, microbiology, urinalysis, over-the-counter medication, pharmacy contracts and health insurance. Student Health Services and the Student Health PROS programs also provide education in classrooms, residence halls and in the community on nutrition, drugs and alcohol, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and birth control.
The total budget for Health Services from 2007 to 2008 is about $2.3 million, with 56 percent of the budget coming from student fees. Laboratory revenue provides $95,000 and pharmacy revenue provides $295,000 of the total budget with the rest coming from various procedures, grants and general funding. Any surplus will be put back into the budget for next year.
Connolly said this year is the last for social-norming grant targeting binge drinking.
"When the grant ends, that's going to be a lot more difficult to do because we don't have a pool of money for that," she said.
She added they would be requesting funding for a registered nurse. Staff currently includes three medical doctors and two family nurse practitioners, as well as a pharmacist, dietitian, two laboratory technicians and other office personnel.
Student health services will also request a full-time psychiatrist rather than a part-time psychiatrist next year. Connolly said they are seeing more students with psychiatric related concerns, especially with so many returning veterans. According to Connolly, the year before MSU had a psychiatrist available there were two suicides on campus.
"Clearly you can never have a guarantee for that, but at least we have a contact person that's a resource that's a phone call away," she said.
In other senate news:
• After review by Academic Affairs, MSSA passed a motion to approve the current Mathematics Placement Policy as it stands, meaning students are automatically assigned to MATH 98 unless they have an ACT score on the math portion of 19 or higher.
• A motion was passed to leave the Transfer of Technical Credits Policy as it stands and raise the number of transferable credits from 16 to 32.
• A motion was passed after review by Academic Affairs to leave the Undergraduate Extended Learning Student Admission Policy as it currently stands.
• SAC recommended allocating $640 out of a possible $1,000 to cover Club Baseball fees to enter Tampa Spring Training for 20 players over spring break. The reason for the reduced funds is that the team will play four games over a five day period.
• SAC recommended allocating $600 to MSU Habitat for Humanity to travel to Beaumont, Texas to build homes for low-income people over spring break.
• SAC recommended allocating $310 to Mankato Student Nurse Association for eight students to attend the National Student Nurse Association convention in Grapevine, Texas March 25-29. The group fundraised $2,710 by hosting a barbeque and other events earlier this year.
• SAC recommended allocating $500 of SOAFC funds to the Muslim Student Association for Islamic Awareness Week. The total cost of the event is more than $6,000, which includes two speakers, a documentary film and food. MSA will be collaborating with other departments such as Cultural Diversity and 200-300 students are expected to participate.
• There is still a vacancy in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Last vacancy elections for this year will be held Wednesday.
Brittney Hansen is a Reporter assistant news editor
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