Q)
Vol. XIV, No. 20
Hakanson ponders possible fiscal fiasco
Jy David Hayden
)f The Print
For College President John
iakanson, passage of the Col-
bge’s serial levy on March 31 is
■solution of only a small part
of a funding problem that may
greatly change the College and
the way it serves the communi-,
ty-
.‘i think we’ll get along well
the first year (1981-82),”
Hakanson said. “After that,
Staff photo by Duffy Coffman
e spotlights are preparing as the Drama Department’s
he Odd Couple” aims for rehearsal. Details on page 3.
we’ll be facing tighter and
tighter budgets. For ’82
(1982-83), I would expect to
see some pretty severe pro
gram cuts unless the state
comes through with more fun
ding than expected.”
Four major factors have con
tributed to the College’s
' deteriorating financial position:
difficulty in securing funds from
the College tax district,
repeated cuts in state aid to
community colleges, growing
student enrollment and the ef
fects of inflation.
Although it isn’t a cure for
the College’s funding pro
blems, the recently passed
three-year serial levy will keep
the College open and
operating. It passed after two
other tax proposals (a tax base
and a three-year construction
levy and operating levy) failed.
Passage of the latest levy
assures that the College will
stay open, but doesn’t allow for
any growth, and may force cuts
in programs considered by
many to be vital.
“One of the reasons we
received voter support with this
levy is the elimination of the
construction levy,” Hakanson
said. Without funding, from the
district or the state, no con
struction can be expected.
The livestock facility, already
budgeted for ip the current
construction levy, is the last
new building planned at this
time.
“There are funds left in the
current construction budget,”
Hakanson said. “It’s one possb
ble source for funds to help
cushion the ’81-’82 budget.”
“The big unanswered ques- ''
tion at this time is state fun
ding,” Hakanson suggested.
Although the state’s revenue to
the College is currently
budgeted at $3,799,000, it’s
likely that the state will con
tinue recent trends and reduce
it further.
The first sigh of reduction in
state aid came in the 1979-80
state appropriations, - which
limited the enrollment increase
the state would subsidize to 2
percent in 1979 and 2 percent
in 1980. During 1979-80, the
College had an actual growth
rate of 8 percent, and 9 percent
in 1980-81. Any growth over
the state’s limit has had to be
supported by the College
without the usual assistance
from the state.
The second cut in state fun
ding came. September 1980.
State' revenue shortages
resulted in a $300,000 cut in
funds from the 1980-81 Col
lege budget.
The third round of cuts came
in the governor’s .1981-83
budget proposal. It allowed no
funding for growth in com-
munity ‘ college enrollment,
despite the governor’s official
expectation of expansion.
College administrators
received notice, although not
official, at an Oregon Com
munity College Association
meeting Feb. 20, that an addi
tional 10 percent cut in state
aid Is likely. If 10 percent is the
figure, and many believe it will
be higher, it would mean a loss
of $405,000 to the College for
1981-82.
“The governor has proposed
several bills to increase state
revenue,” commented Hakan
son. “His proposed budget is
dependent upon all of the pro
posals passing the legislature. If
one or more doesn’t, we will
face additional cuts. We’re
assured of losing part of our
budget, 10 perceht is an
estimate.”
The “catch 22” of the situa
tion, though, is the state posi
tion on construction funds.
Although Clackamas is ranked
second behind Rogue Com
munity College for state funds
for construction, the governor
has no money budgeted for it.
Considering thè problems in
gaining funds for the College,
the conclusions are simple.
Within the next few years, the
College will not only have to
reduce spending in many
areas, it also may have to
eliminate programs, limit
enrollment and raise tuition.
“What would you do?”
Hakanson asked. “You have to
find a way to limit student
enrollment so your present
faculty won’t be overloaded.”
An option the Board may
have . to consider is closing
enrollment. A college closes
enrollment when it sets a limit
on how many students it will
allow to enroll, and then
refuses any admissions applica
tions after that.
“It’s totally foreign to the idea
of a community college,”
Hakanson said. “One possible
solution is to increase tuition. If
tuition was $1,000, we
wouldn’t have a problem with
enrollment,” Hakanson il
lustrated.
“The funding problem is not
going to go away next year, or
the year after. It is something
that we’re going to have to live
with on a long-term basis,”
commented Hakanson.
residential memo spells out pecking order
Bl Rick Obritschkewitsch steps being considered, many
■The College, levy was passed
of the College employees
■ a special election on March
didn’t think it would come
31, but before this happened,
down to layoffs.
Bps were outlined as to what
' Staff support union leader
Bule take place if the levy
Ron Hoodye send, “If the
Bdn’t passed. There were
levies don’t get passed, the
Bed feelings among staff
school will already be closed
Bout at least one of the steps.
before it comes down to people
■One of the steps that was
getting laid off.”
Bntioned in President John
Hoodye also stated, “If the
Bkar.son’s Feb. 27 letter to levy doesn’t get passed until
B College staff was that all
the June election, the school
Bartment heads were re-
will have to cut down what
Bested to prepare lists of staff
they’re asking for so much that
■sitions which would have to
the school may be open by fall,
Belim’nated if the College had but it won’t be the school as we'
Bed to pass a tax levy by the " know it—the school will be
B of May.
working from a bare bones
■he letter came about -after budget.”
B November tax base pro
The faculty union leader, Ira
Bal and February bid for an
Heard, agreed with Hoodye
Berating levy and construction
that the College would have
■ both f ailed
closed- before - ■ a- ■ layoff' would - ■
stated, “If the levy isn’t passed
by June, a lot of people can’t
afford to wait around, and the
College will lose a lot of the
faculty if the levy isn’t passed
.until fall, and faculty members
are asked to come back.”
Many of the veteran College
employees realized that there
have been times in previous
years that College levies
haven’t passed until late elec
tions.
Craig Lesley, a College
English instructor, stated, “We
had trouble a couple of times
before that the levy wasn’t
passed until late in the school
year. I’m convinced that this in
stitution needs to be here, and I
hope people realize that. K’s'
possible that it won’t be passed
until September or October.”
Le Isey, > who has be e n an in -
years, wasn’t planning to be
looking for other work even if
the College had closed down
for the summer , session. He
said, “It would be a pity if the
College were to close down
during the summer session
because a lot of people need to
take classes during that time,
such as law enforcement and
nursing students.”
“I’d stay around and try to
get the levy passed-there’s
always unemployment,” con
tinued Lesley.
Kim
Faddis,
testing
secretary, stated, “I would look
for another position if the Col
lege were to close,” to contrast
what Lesley had said, “but I
would come back if the College
were to open again,” she add
ed-
., .Before, anyone could , be laid’
centimeters
a decision by the College
Board. It would have to be
determined that that is what is
needed to help stretch the
budget.
The layoffs would take place
according to employee contract
language. The support staff, for
instance, would be laid off ac
cording to seniority, which
would mean, the first to be laid
off would be employees most
recently hired.
The order of layoffs for the
faculty would go as follows:
first, those faculty members
working part-time, then those
holding term appointments,
and finally those with continu
ing appointments.
In any case, those faculty
members being laid off must be
laid off by persons of equal
positions, or those in the same
LI
■