More students, less money
COM faces enrollment hike, budget crunch
Elisa Forsgren
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: News
COM is now faced with "moving resources from the lower enrolled elective areas to high demand areas with waiting lists," said Synder.
White expects enrollment to increase further after this semester. "The colleges surrounding us have already cut their summer programs totally," said White. "That's going to mean students are going to be shopping around for classes and COM is not going to be able to meet the demand."
Chang acknowledges the difficulties, but says the administration will protect the interests of its present day students.
"We are doing everything we can to give first priority to our current COM students to ensure they are not nudged out by the surrounding college students looking to take only one or two classes only for the summer semester," said Chang. "New student registration will be pushed back, and current COM students will have a three week head start on registration for the summer."
Taking initiative can further help current students, according to Arnold. "As soon as summer registration opens, COM students need to be on the ball and sign up right away because the number of seats available will remain the same, but there will be a lot more competition," he said.
That competition will only increase if enrollment is capped, a real possibility according to White. "You have to cut something over here to offer something over there and even after you have done that balancing act there is nothing left so that could lead to a cap in enrollment," she said.
White added that good management has prevented deep cuts or furloughs in the past, but that probably will not help now. "It's just a matter of time before the institution will have to face that pied piper," she said.
COM is fiscally treading water due to an evaporating revenue stream, as funding from sources like the Partnership for Excellence, an national program providing funds for education, are drying up, said White.
Student services have also been impacted, both by declining revenue and state cuts, White added.
"The college is going to have to make some pretty tough decisions in an environment where there is constantly state and local decline," said White. "It's not going away over night and I would anticipate layoffs in the next year or two."
For students generally, White said, all of these factors combined "means (it will take) longer to get your higher education.
White expects enrollment to increase further after this semester. "The colleges surrounding us have already cut their summer programs totally," said White. "That's going to mean students are going to be shopping around for classes and COM is not going to be able to meet the demand."
Chang acknowledges the difficulties, but says the administration will protect the interests of its present day students.
"We are doing everything we can to give first priority to our current COM students to ensure they are not nudged out by the surrounding college students looking to take only one or two classes only for the summer semester," said Chang. "New student registration will be pushed back, and current COM students will have a three week head start on registration for the summer."
Taking initiative can further help current students, according to Arnold. "As soon as summer registration opens, COM students need to be on the ball and sign up right away because the number of seats available will remain the same, but there will be a lot more competition," he said.
That competition will only increase if enrollment is capped, a real possibility according to White. "You have to cut something over here to offer something over there and even after you have done that balancing act there is nothing left so that could lead to a cap in enrollment," she said.
White added that good management has prevented deep cuts or furloughs in the past, but that probably will not help now. "It's just a matter of time before the institution will have to face that pied piper," she said.
COM is fiscally treading water due to an evaporating revenue stream, as funding from sources like the Partnership for Excellence, an national program providing funds for education, are drying up, said White.
Student services have also been impacted, both by declining revenue and state cuts, White added.
"The college is going to have to make some pretty tough decisions in an environment where there is constantly state and local decline," said White. "It's not going away over night and I would anticipate layoffs in the next year or two."
For students generally, White said, all of these factors combined "means (it will take) longer to get your higher education.
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