Collegian T he Cameron University
CAMERON S t a t e B u d g e t www.aggiecentral.com
Monday, October 1, 2018
By Mason Orso
Volume 99 Issue 4
ALLOCATIONS
McArthur explained that Cameron mandatory fees have increased by nine University compensates for the dollars per credit hour (4.4 percent), Staff Writer reduction in state funding in two ways: with nonresident increasing by 12 the first is reduction dollars per credit Cameron University (CU) is in personnel costs, and hour (2.3 percent). experiencing a reduction in state fund the second is increased “My goal over McArthur said allocations for 2018, though it is less tuition and fees. CU students could severe than in years past. the next two “There are fewer also expect to see To adjust for the allocations—and Cameron employees now fewer classes offered years is to prepare for the future—Cameron is then there was five years implementing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 from the recent stabilize us — ago,” he said. “Cameron reduction, since the budget. is still the least expensive lack of funds hits in to get us to According to the Cameron university option in the multiple places. governing board, “the FY 2019 budget a predictable state, but it’s been up in “The number ref lects CU’s commitment to increasing of faculty and staff and improving student success and enrollment so that the last five years.” The recent budget affects Cameron student learning inside and outside we can plan deduction also inf luences students too,” he the classroom while continuing to be enrollment and retention said. “Rather than an engaged partner with common and our budget rates for Cameron. having the choice career technology education, business, accordingly.” Vice President of of a daytime class, industry, civic and government Enrollment Management a nighttime class organizations.” and Student Success or an online class, CU President John McArthur said — Jerrett Phillips Jerrett Phillips said they only have one the accumulative state reduction since Vice President there are different ways choice. That’s a 2014 is slightly more than five and a Enrollment Management of looking at enrollment big impact on our quarter of a million dollars. and Student Success predictions—one method students for some “Our reduction from a state is looking at high school allocation this year is about $101,000,” majors.” and college The reduction he said. “That’s been the smallest graduation rates. amount is less severe than it has been reduction we’ve had in the last five “If the graduation rates in in previous years, but McArthur said it years.” the local high schools decline still does not negate the side effects. University expenditures for 2018 or the college population “It’s a lesser amount,” he said, have increased by $208,469, primarily within that group declines, “and we had the opportunity to see due to more demand for scholarship, then we have an issue,” he said. it coming, so it was not much of a tuition waiver support and health Phillips said another factor surprise. However, we could plan for it insurance increases. in enrollment is the presence of more [in advance].” The reduction from the state affects the Ft. Sill army base. As the state funding reduction students in the form of increased continues to fall, tuition and fees, and McArthur said Cameron is doing everything possible to state revenue will also drop, impacting many help with that. universities across the “I don’t think the student’s impact was dramatic,” he said. “Tuition did go state. McArthur said these up, but it was not really because of the sorts of changes could have downturn, it was more because of the long-term effects. increased student financial aid. “Less tax revenue is “Over the course of the last five years, I think the impact of students has coming in, so the state has less money to spend; been increased cost.” I think that’s been a big Beginning in the fall semester, inf luence,” he said. resident undergraduate tuition and
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“We’ve had a strong relationship with Ft. Sill for many years and have had huge enrollment by soldiers and family of soldiers,” he said. “The base makes changes to the duration of life cycles for the soldiers. This impacts their choice to choose Cameron as their education source.” Phillips also said that one of the goals of the university is to keep the cost of attendance as low as possible for current and future students. “My goal over the next two years is to stabilize us; to get us to a predictable enrollment so that we can plan our budget accordingly,” he said. “To do that we have to be more strategic in where our enrollment comes from.” The number of students taking online courses has increased by 16 percent this year. Both McArthur and Phillips said online enrollment is most likely the future of the university, with plenty of options for students both current and future.
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