The Longwood University Board of Visitors (BOV) held its spring meeting Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31.
The board decided not to approve any tuition or fee increase because there is no final state budget passed by the General Assembly. The final budget will detail the amount of money given to each institution the Commonwealth assists in funding. The board plans to formally approve the budget after the academic year is complete, possibly in May or June.
Kathy Worster, vice president for administration and finance, gave the budget report and noted cuts equating some $9 million since 2008 from the Commonwealth. From fiscal years 2007 to 2012, general fund monies (i.e., money from the state) have dropped 36 percent overall.
To pressure the university even further, general fund monies can only be used for in-state student academics. The other allocation of money comes from the non-general fund, which includes any cushion monies as well as fees.
Worster projects 51.8 percent of the money coming from tuition for next fiscal year while 43.7 percent will come from the state. She said the goal is for 67 percent to come from the state and 33 percent from students, but that goal has not been attainable since 2004.
The board discussed additional ways to improve revenue flow to the university. One member proposed marketing Longwood through more local stores such as Walmart in order to bring in commission sales from the university's trademark.
While the board did not approve an increase, much discussion revolved around the possibility of a projected 4.6 percent for in-state students and 4.5 percent for out-of-state residential students.
The rationale for an increase is due to "increasing fixed costs and strategic initiatives," according to the report to the board. The recommendation is further based on an up to five percent increase for operating cost and debt service.
In addition, in the recommendation, board rates would increase an average of three percent in order to cover a negotiable dining contract with ARAMARK and other operation costs.
Room increase covers debt service cost for renovations to Longwood-managed housing and any additional costs related to housing operation.
The comprehensive fee increase proposal is needed for the new student union capital project, an increase in the athletic budget to cover student financial aid expenses and fixes costs related to all other auxiliary functions operation.
Under the proposed change, an undergraduate residential student with main campus housing and a 14 plus $250 meal plan would pay a total of $19,510 for the 2012-2013 academic year. That's an $866 increase. An outof- state undergraduate student with the same criterion would pay $31,870, a $1,376 increase.
The increase is higher than recommended by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who recommended a 2.9 percent.
However, Brenda Atkins, executive assistant to the president for governmental affairs and special projects, said she spoke with Virginia Secretary of Education Laura Fornash, who said the governor will be given information detailing that not each institution can operate with that small of an increase.
Atkins said, for instance, Longwood does not get as much money from outof- state students, since 95 percent are in-state.
Last year, Longwood had the lowest tuition rate increase among public institutions in the state.
A question was also brought up by the board regarding the recent move to the Big South Conference and how that would effect revenue and expense streams. Some board members were under the impression the move would reduce the financial burden on the Athletics Department.
President Patrick Finnegan said there would not be a cost reduction overall. Troy Austin, director of athletics, added that travel expenditures look neutral right now, as the cost to take a bus to Lynchburg has increased by $300. Austin did say the program will benefit from recognition and that students will be spending more time in class. Aside from tuition, the prospect of salary pay increases and town and community relations were also brought up during Friday's board meeting.
Dr. Robert Webber, professor of mathematics and computer science, spoke during the public session about the Annual Salary Survey conducted by Sibson Consulting for the university. Webber concentrated on how Longwood rests in the fourth percentile when it comes to State Council of Higher Education for Virginia schools. Webber's concern is faculty members will continue to not receive bonuses or salary rises and Longwood will remain one of the lower paying schools in the Commonwealth.
Dr. Larissa Fergeson, associate professor of history and chair of Faculty Senate, said, "We have young faculty able to get jobs at other schools who are making as much as associate professors here." She said the issue has been in discussion for years. Finnegan said Webber's concerns have been a concern of his since he arrived at Longwood. He said that the aim is to find where some of the biggest gaps are at and close those in. He said that decision cannot be made within "months," but has to be evaluated in what could be a three to five-year process. BOV Rector Marjorie Connelly said the board credited university faculty with always bringing the issue of salary up in a professional manner while also "laying it on the line."
During her report, Connelly touched on the issue of student debt, which has gathered much news coverage across the state and the nation as of late. She said the actions of students show that "affordability is really important" to a student's education. Sallie McMullin was announced as the new dean of admissions for the university after serving as interim dean after Bob Chonko's departure last year. Dr. Alix Fink, associate professor of biology, has been named the new dean of the Cormier Honors College. Johnson Bowles, director of the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts, was named an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow for the 2012- 2013 academic year. The board brought up the issue with the excessive heating plant smoke and the university's handling of that incident with the Town of Farmville. The issue was brought up during a recent Town Council meeting. The board said nearly in unison the university "really dropped the ball" when it came to communication with the town. BOV Member Mrs. Jane Maddux said there needed to be an "immediate response" by the university alerting the town of the problem and that the university was actively seeking a solution.
Vice President of Facilities Management and Real Property Dick Bratcher agreed with the board later when he gave a construction update on campus and discussed the heating plant issue.
Connelly recommended an agenda item on how to appropriately respond on different levels when incidents such as this happen in the future. The 2013 audit plan was passed unanimously by the board. The Internal Audit Plan provides guidance to internal audit functions in order to manage the functions of the office. The board approved a number of auxiliary reserve requests including new siding at the baseball and softball fields form the Athletics Reserves, a new HVAC system at Willett Hall and an archive room to be placed in the Janet D. Greenwood Library.
Revisions to the Intercollegiate Athletics Alcohol and Drug Policies were also approved by the board to be in compliance with NCAA standards. The new policy reflects an up- to-date practice of managing the use of performance-enhancing substances. Bratcher gave a quick update on some of the campus construction projects. The Bedford Hall renovation and addition is scheduled to be completed by summer 2012. The University Technology Center (French Hall) will be complete in fall 2014. Currently, the project is in bid phase.
