MSU seeks funding gap solutions

Missouri State University President Clif Smart yesterday unveiled planned budget cuts and asked for feedback on how to close a funding gap in response to less money coming from the state.

Speaking during a town hall meeting that lasted nearly an hour and a half (see the video below), Smart said MSU is looking at nearly $8 million less than expected under Gov. Eric Greitens’ proposed fiscal 2018 budget. That comprises $7.5 million for the school’s Springfield campus and nearly $468,000 at the West Plains campus. Discussions, however, revolved around the Springfield campus.

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On April 19, the MSU Board of Governors is scheduled to vote on a tuition and cost-saving plans.

“Fortunately, we’re in a much better position than many other universities, and that is because we’re growing,” Smart said, noting $3.1 million in new expenses would be offset by enrollment growth.

However, the $7.5 million shortfall still needed to be addressed.

Smart first pointed to a recommended 2.1 percent tuition increase — in line with the Consumer Price Index — for undergraduates from Missouri, as well as a 4.2 percent bump for all others and an uptick in student fees. The plan is estimated to grow revenue by $3.4 million.

“Less than half of the cut is being replaced by tuition money,” he said. “I think that’s an appropriate formula and recognizes that affordability remains a critical issue for our students.”

With the planned increase in tuition and fees, that leaves $4.1 million in further cuts.

Of that, $2.8 million is carved out of nonacademic and provost areas. Smart said that includes the elimination of 20 open positions for savings of $939,628, as well as $685,003 in savings through a reduction in payroll expenses, including six recently laid off employees.

Smart called on stakeholder input for the remaining $1.2 million. Specifically, he asked faculty, staff and students to vote on four scenarios:
    •    the entire $1.2 million to be identified through the colleges and coordinated by the provost’s office;
    •    reducing teachers’ online course incentive payments to $40 per student from $55 per student, leaving $657,909 in remaining expense reductions to be made;
    •    reducing online course incentive payments to $30 per student, leaving $264,186 in remaining expense reductions to be made; or
    •    none of the above.

Those in attendance or watching a live stream of the town hall were asked to vote on the proposal. Out of 317 votes in the informal real-time poll, 128 voted for the $30 incentive plan; 107 voted for the $40 incentive plan; 50 votes for identifying all reductions through the colleges; and 32 voted for none of the above.

Noting the poll would not dictate the outcome, Smart said officials would take the results into account when deciding next week.

“All of the easy answers are gone. Next year, the answers are going to be even harder,” he said of the need for budget cuts. “I’m not sure the state budget is ever going to recover. We might be in for a tough run of years.”

Last week, MSU announced more than $1 million in cuts to its athletics department, including the elimination of the field hockey program. Yesterday, Smart said the athletics budget is separate from the school’s primary budget, so they were not included in proposed cuts presented during the town hall.