Budget committee proposes $5/credit tuition hike

A $5 tuition increase per credit hour and a $35 access fee, which would replace the current parking fee, are among the suggestions included in the 2012-13 budget proposal presentation at the first budget committee meeting Wednesday.

MHCC President Michael Hay said the budget proposal reflects the goals and values of the college and is based on a two-year plan that aims not only to balance this year’s budget, as required by the law, but also to help avoid large fluctuations in budget management.

In the 2012-13 budget proposal, in addition to the tuition hike and the new access fee, includes a college services fee increase of $10, various course and administrative fee increases and a distance learning fee increase of $15.

Hay also said the college has been in discussions with the Full-Time Faculty Association to potentially leave “open certain full-time faculty positions to generate additional one-time only revenue.”

To decrease costs, the proposal suggests a restructuring of the college administration by reducing the number of vice presidents and deans, raising fees and reducing the energy use at the aquatic center and reducing the amount of uncollectible tuition through attendance taking and reporting.

Hay said the college faces a two-year deficit projection of $7.8 million up from the original $5.5 million deficit estimated for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
In regard to recent increases in tuition and likely further tuition increases, Hay said, “MHCC has had to increase tuition to offset the loss of state support.”

The results of a college survey entitled “How would you balance the budget of

Mt. Hood Community College?” —an interactive online survey which gave students, faculty and other staff the opportunity to attempt to balance the budget through a variety of budget plans — was also presented by Bill Farver, the vice president of administrative services, at the budget committee meeting.

“The important thing with the survey is with it, you can get a sense of what’s on people’s minds,” said Farver.

In the survey results, which had 245 total participants, nearly 70 percent of participants were in favor of some sort of increase in tuition, 23 percent were in favor of increasing parking fee by at least $5 per term with 42 percent of participants in favor of eliminating the parking fee and implementing a universal campus access fee.

Nearly 40 percent of participants were in favor reducing existing administrative fees and 78 percent, the highest common result, voted in favor of increasing the energy efficiencies of the aquatic center and making adjustments to related staffing.

On top of filling out the survey, participants were also given the option to provide comments on the survey and other related topics.

Hay said that from what he gathered from the results and comments, participants felt the need for balance and to mitigate impact on students through any budget changes.

Among the most common responses from survey participants, Farver said “the strongest theme was reducing administrative costs.”

The next budget committee meeting is scheduled to begin 6 p.m. on May 2 and Dave Shields, the board chair, said the meeting will also include a public hearing “to will give the public a chance to testify their concerns,” said Shields.

There will also be information budget forum sessions held Wednesday from 9-10:30 a.m. in the Visual Arts Theater and on April 27 from 2:30-4 p.m. in the same location.