Budget ratified for 2011-2012 school year
State contribution increases but still below 2008 levels

By KC Crouse · The Mainstream
Published May 10, 2011

UCC’s budget committee on April 27 approved a budget for next school year based on an expectation of receiving and additional $921,038 over this year’s allocation. The recent $5 per credit tuition increase is also expected to bring in an estimated additional $680,000, according to Bev Brandt, vice president of administrative services.

In spite of the increases, state support is still lower than 2008 allocations.

The budget committee, composed of seven community members and seven board members, accepted the 2011-2012 budget based on an expected appropriation from the state of $410 million to all Oregon community colleges. UCC is expected to receive $10,674,656 per year for the next two school years from this $410 million budget.

This year, the 2010-2011 fiscal year, UCC received $9,726,618 in state support.

The $410 million budget is not set in stone; on May 13 legislators will review incoming taxes for possible needed revisions, and the state budget won’t be finalized until the end of June.

If taxes don’t come in at the level necessary to support the $410 million, the funding level could still drop during the school year.

Cutting allocations during a school year is not uncommon when state revenue is low, according to Brandt. UCC’s allocation was cut by 13 percent or approximately $800,000 during October of this school year.

In response to this 13 percent reduction, UCC cut 100 sections of courses. “We cut out everything we could cut out without cutting full time staff. We went through every possible scenario, delayed purchase of capital items, delayed maintenance and cut back materials and services,” says Brandt.

When referring to cutting full time staff, Brandt said, “We made it through the last budget cut, but we probably won’t escape the next.”