Budget positions MVCC to meet student needs, hold the line on County’s costs

(Utica) Following a public hearing today, the Oneida County Legislature voted unanimously to approve Mohawk Valley Community College’s 2009-10 budget request. This approval positions the College to meet increasing student demand without requiring additional sponsorship dollars from the county.

The $45 million budget represents an increase of 3.8 percent over fiscal year 2008-09. The County’s sponsorship of $7.28 million is the same as in 2008-09. To meet students’ needs without requiring more County dollars or a large tuition increase, the College is deferring some direct marketing initiatives and seeking other administrative efficiencies.

“The county is facing the same economic headwinds as many of our students,” says MVCC President Randall J. VanWagoner. “As this pressure and student interest drive large, sustained enrollment growth, we are committed to managing resources to support students without weighing down the county budget.”

MVCC’s projected fall 2009 enrollment is up approximately 8.4 percent compared to fall 2008. Nearly 30 percent of Oneida County high school graduates are enrolled for fall study at MVCC. The fall 2009 semester will be the eighth consecutive semester of enrollment growth, continuing a trend that reflects the economic environment as well as MVCC’s emphasis on expanding its educational service to the community. Full-time tuition, currently set at $3,250, will increase to $3,350. MVCC tuition has grown by $50 or $100 increments in each of the last 5 years. Tuition for part-time students was not increased, holding at $120 per credit hour for the second straight year.

The FY 2009-10 budget makes strategic investments including the filling of vacant positions to meet student demand; maintenance of the previous budget’s commitment to technology and equipment resources; and professional development for employees. An academic reorganization is key among these investments. The College announced in May that it will reassign its existing departments and instructors into five new academic centers: the Center for Life and Health Sciences; the Center for Business, Social Sciences and Information Technology; the Center for Arts and Humanities; the Center for Language and Learning Design; and the Center for Mathematics, Engineering, Physical Science and Applied Technology. These groupings are intended to help students make the most of MVCC’s diverse academic offerings and enhance collaboration among faculty and staff.

MVCC’s investment in personal service (e.g. salaries for all academic and administrative staff) will grow by 3.33 percent, to $25.7 million. The 2009-10 budget reflects an increase of 4.6 percent in projected spending on employee benefits, which include College-funded health insurance and retirement fund contributions for eligible employees.

Now that the County has approved MVCC’s budget, the State University of New York will review it as part of the annual system-wide budgeting process. Final budget numbers will be published this month.

Budget positions MVCC to meet student needs, hold the line on County’s costs

M3P Media LLC © 2009