By Edna Horton/managing editor
State government cuts may cause TCC to reduce its budget.
Gary Cumbie, interim executive assistant to the chancellor, said the Texas government is asking colleges and universities to create a proposal for the state in the event budget cuts are made.
“At this point, we have been doing some contingency planning, but there has been no directive yet,” Cumbie said.
The state is asking agencies, universities and state courts to cut their budgets by 5 percent to eliminate a proposed budget shortfall.
Bill Lace, interim vice chancellor of administrative and community services, said TCC receives 25 percent of its funding from state appropriations, 25 percent from tuition and 50 percent from Tarrant County taxpayers.
Lace said the 5 percent cut proposed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry will amount to $5.2 million over this academic year and next academic year.
Lace said since the spring semester has already started, the budget cuts would mainly affect the fall semester. He said 35 percent would come from the 2010-2011 academic year and 60 percent from the 2011-2012 academic year.
Some of the cuts under consideration include the chancellor’s budget and general operating expenses. Lace said 3 percent of the cuts could come from operating expenses. He said the college will fill only positions essential to the operations of the college and all non-essential, non-faculty positions would be filled only on an as-needed basis.
Lace said fewer course sections could be offered. He said the number of courses themselves would remain the same. For instance, instead of having seven sections for an English course, officials could cut the number to five.
“I urge students to register early because when the sections fill, there will not be any more opened up,” he said.
Lace said budget cuts may impact enrollment because students trying to enroll in certain classes may not be able to because they will fill quickly.
The college will also maximize the use of adjunct faculty, who make less money than full-time faculty, Lace said. He said, however, that the college will maintain the ratio of 60 percent full-time faculty.
Lace said the cuts will save $1.8 million this academic year and $3.5 million next academic year. He said aside from dropping course sections, no other student services will be affected by the cuts.
Lace said it is the chancellor’s belief that this will not affect the quality of the courses and programs TCC has to offer.
“At this time,” he said, “this is just the state asking ‘What would you do?’ It is not a hard and fast plan.”
