University faculty and staff remain hopeful in light of Gov. John Kitzhaber’s 2001-2003 budget proposal for higher education.
As the biennium proposal, which is $94.3 million less than that requested by the Oregon University System, makes its way through the legislative process, faculty and staff at the University are anxiously waiting to see what impact the budget could have on their departments.
“No one is talking about how, if passed, the budget will work its way down through the state to the institution,” said Jim O’Fallon, associate dean for academic affairs.
Some professors pointed out that there are areas that are more susceptible to cuts in funding than others.
“No one can talk in specific terms because no one wants to say where the vulnerabilities are,” said James Earl, University Senate president.
Professors have pointed out that Kitzhaber has previously supported higher education, and they view this proposal not as an act against Oregon universities but as a reaction to the state of the economy.
“It is not a sign that he does not care about education but a decision made by someone with his back against the wall,” said Mark Johnson, professor of philosophy and former department head.
Last year the state university system enacted a new funding model that tied higher education funding more closely with enrollment numbers. Under this new system, the school with the highest enrollment received a higher proportion of available funding.
“The model should work in our favor if we can maintain enrollment,” Gage said. “No one would want to go back to the old way of doing it.”
Johnson said most faculty members were optimistic last year because the state funding system for higher education changed.
“For the first time, the University had greater control over tuition,” he said.
Now facing a possible drop in funding, Johnson said that mood has changed.
“It’s really disheartening to all the faculty to contemplate additional cuts just at the point when we could go ahead in a positive way and repair damage from the last decade,” he said.
Now that funding is closely tied to enrollment, faculty members are nervous that increased tuition will have a negative effect on the number of new students. Kitzhaber’s proposal sets a tuition increase of 8 percent, although the OUS requested an increase of only 5 percent to 8 percent.
“The worry is that the University will respond by increasing tuition, which could potentially have the effect of decreasing enrollment,” said Gage.
Faculty salaries are another important factor that could be affected by the budget plan. Earl said he believes salaries will be the first place cuts will be made.
“The salary plan is very vulnerable and the faculty is freaked out about it,” Earl said.
Most departments recognize the importance of salaries in order to maintain competitive academic programs and realize that faculty members can be lured away by offers from other schools.
“We need to hire and maintain the best faculty in order to remain on the scene,” Gage said. “Competitive salaries are needed to retain quality faculty.”