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Not only is tuition expected to increase by 8 percent next year, prices for student parking are also slated to jump nearly 50 percent. On Tuesday, Janet Waldron, University of Maine vice president of administration, unveiled a proposed budget for the fiscal year 2005.
The new budget contains several cuts in key areas, including technology, and increased funds for scholarships and library journal inflation. Costs for employee benefits have risen 60 percent in the past five years, Waldron said.
The total budget is approximately $265 million and must now be approved by University System Chancellor Joseph Westphal and the system’s board of trustees, Waldron told the crowd of about 100 Tuesday in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union.
After state appropriations, $10.3 million remains to be raised by the University of Maine for fiscal year 2005, Waldron said.
In order to cover the budget gap, Waldron proposed increases in fees across campus, including either a 4 percent or 8 percent increase in tuition for the next fiscal year, as well as a $15 increase in the cost of student parking permits. Faculty and staff permits will not be affected, Waldron said, unless agreed upon through collective bargaining. Waldron said she would be amenable to meeting with the General Student Senate to discuss the proposals.
“I think if they’re going to increase the [student] parking permit, it needs to be reinvested into bettering our parking system,” said Student Body President Cortlynn Hepler.
The proposed budget involves only educational and general revenue and expenses. Other items, such as student housing and dining, are covered in an auxiliary portion of the budget, Waldron said.
Waldron pointed to skyrocketing costs across the board at UMaine, saying the problem must be addressed now to ensure sufficient funds are available in 2006 and beyond.
“We would have to find this money in 2006,” Waldron said, if substantial funds are not raised immediately for the university’s budget crisis. “[Cuts] are exacerbating the financial situation on this campus.”
A 4 percent increase in tuition would leave the university with approximately $3.3 million to raise for fiscal year 2005, while an 8 percent increase would require only $1.5 million, Waldron said. UMaine has the lowest tuition rates, for both in-state and out-of-state students, when compared to other New England states, Waldron said.
The adjustments will be difficult for all concerned, but the changes must be made for the financial health of the university, Waldron said.
“The reality of making this type of adjustment in such a short amount of time period is extremely painful,” she said.
In an effort to ease the financial burden on students, funds for scholarships are proposed to see an approximate $200,000 increase, for a total of $772,109. A majority of that amount will go to Presidential and Dean Scholars, Waldron said.
Another way to raise revenue, Waldron said, is to increase enrollment at the university. Enrollment at UMaine has leveled off to approximately 11,500 in the past three years, Waldron said.
“If we grow, we have more revenue,” Waldron said.
Areas that need immediate funding include employee benefits, university marketing, scholarship funding,and academic incentives to professors, Waldron said.
“Each year, the budget gets more and more restricted,” said University Provost Robert Kennedy.
Kennedy said a positive aspect of the new budget proposal is the creation of a $300,000 allocation toward health insurance coverage for graduate students. Another new item planned for addition to the budget is the Safe Campus project. Funded in the past by several grants from different sources, the program works to promote a safe campus environment for students, specifically women. The new budget allocates $15,000 toward the program, Waldron said.
Waldron ended the presentation by highlighting several positive aspects of UMaine life that she said have improved dramatically since 1997. She pointed to the growth of the Honors College, a 50 percent increase in first-year enrollment, more than $175 million in construction projects, and a five-year strategic plan.
A 2 to 8 percent increase in first-year enrollment over last year is expected for the upcoming fall, Kennedy said.
“Our enrollment predictions for next fall look good,” Kennedy said. Currently, Waldron and Kennedy are polling public opinion regarding the proposed budget.
“We won’t know what we’re authorized to do as a campus until late May,” Waldron said, referring to approval from the Board of Trustees. A second public forum on the budget will be held Monday, March 29, from 1-3 p.m. in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union.
Bangor Daily News