RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 8, 2008)--Arkansas Tech administrators have developed a plan that would allow the university to move forward with no disruptions to its most critical services during the 2008-09 fiscal year despite a recent budget cut announced by the state of Arkansas.
The plan, which will be presented to the Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees at its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, May 15, calls for a thorough energy conservation effort and budget reductions for the Offices of Academic Affairs, Administration and Finance, Development and Student Services.
If approved by the Board of Trustees, the revised budget would also result in a 5 percent tuition increase on the Russellville campus for the 2008-09 academic year.
All of the adjustments to the proposed 2008-09 Arkansas Tech budget were made necessary by the recent announcement of a statewide $107 million cut to the state of Arkansas’ estimated budget for the upcoming fiscal year. At Arkansas Tech, the budget cut means that the university will have $1.2 million less than was originally forecasted by the state.
“Prior to the announcement of the statewide budget cut, we were only going to ask the Board of Trustees for a 3 percent tuition increase,” said Tech President Dr. Robert C. Brown. “We conducted a line-by-line examination of our budget in an effort to limit the amount of burden that would fall upon our students. We reduced expenses where possible while maintaining a commitment to providing our students with the best educational experience possible. If approved, this increase would be one of the lowest among 4-year institutions in the state of Arkansas next year.
“Unfortunately, tuition increases are part of the present and the future of higher education in America,” continued Dr. Brown. “At Arkansas Tech University, our focus will remain upon providing our students with the best value for their dollar and supporting their efforts to persist toward graduation. By retaining and graduating students, we give the people of Arkansas a return on their investment in our campus, our students, our faculty and our staff.”
One of the most important aspects of the university’s revised budget for 2008-09 will be the energy conservation effort. Administrators believe that by educating students, faculty and staff on ways that they can reduce their energy consumption, Arkansas Tech can reduce its utility bills for the upcoming fiscal year by 9.4 percent. That would be a savings of $250,000.
“We have studied ways in which we can reduce the amount of energy we use on our campus, and we will be sharing that information with the university community in the coming weeks and months,” said Dr. Brown. “Of course, there is a dual benefit in this aspect of our plan. Not only will it greatly assist the university from a financial standpoint; it will also provide a lesson in environmental responsibility to our students.”
According to the revised budget proposal, a scheduled 2 percent raise for non-classified employees of the university will go forward as planned. In addition, funding for special events during the upcoming year, including the 100-year anniversary celebration of Arkansas Tech University and strategic planning initiatives designed to chart the course for the future of the university, will not be affected.
“I would like to commend the members of the budget committee for their expertise and dedication in preparing this revised budget for presentation to the Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Brown. “I believe that they have made astute and proper suggestions based on the priorities and principles that have made our university an institution of excellence.”
