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Northwest Missouri State University President John Jasinski joined presidents of other state-assisted colleges and universities Wednesday in Jefferson City, where the group painted a bleak picture before the House Appropriations Committee on Education with regard to a proposed 12.5 percent budget cut for higher education.
Jasinski called the proposed cuts "transformative," and indicated that reductions over the past several years have left little room for consolidation and "around the edges" measures aimed at improving efficiency.
In all likelihood, Jasinski told the lawmakers, which included Maryville's Mike Thomson, the current proposal will cause all-but-certain reductions in programs, services and personnel.
Northwest has yet to release specifics, but Jasinski said a plan outlining its response to the state cuts, including layoffs, will be announced next week.
If passed into law, the latest round of reduced appropriations will bring the percentage of state assistance at Northwest to a little more than 30 percent of its operations budget — down from more than 70 percent in the 1970s.
Statewide, Missouri spends between $4,000 and $9,000 a year per enrolled college student, depending on the institution, but around $16,000 for each prisoner incarcerated by the Department of Corrections. That disparity became an issue during Wednesday's testimony
"How can we continue to spend significantly more on non-violent incarcerated individuals than on spending per full-time equivalent student?" Jasinksi asked.
One possible source of new funding for higher education is a proposed increase in the tax on cigarettes, which Jasinski mentioned, though his inquiry reportedly elicited no response from committee members. At 17 cents a pack, Missourians pay the lowest cigarette tax in the country. Most other states have set rates at well over a dollar.
Calling Gov. Jay Nixon's budget proposal a "game changer," Jasinski said it would return state funding at Northwest to 1998 levels. He added that his comparison was based on actual dollars not adjusted for inflation.
In addition, since tuition increases in Missouri are linked to the Consumer Price Index, Jasinski said raising tuition the allowed 3 percent will barely cover higher costs tied to inflation.
"Thus, we are looking at somewhere north of $4 million in funding cuts," Jasinski said.
"This factors in the 12.5 percent proposed budget decrease and our commitment to a multi-year compensation approach that is imperative as we seek to retain and attract the best faculty and staff. ..."
Jasinski told the committee that Northwest is both efficiently run and dedicated to keeping higher education accessible and affordable.
Northwest Missouri State University President John Jasinski joined presidents of other state-assisted colleges and universities Wednesday in Jefferson City, where the group painted a bleak picture before the House Appropriations Committee on Education with regard to a proposed 12.5 percent budget cut for higher education.
Jasinski called the proposed cuts "transformative," and indicated that reductions over the past several years have left little room for consolidation and "around the edges" measures aimed at improving efficiency.
In all likelihood, Jasinski told the lawmakers, which included Maryville's Mike Thomson, the current proposal will cause all-but-certain reductions in programs, services and personnel.
Northwest has yet to release specifics, but Jasinski said a plan outlining its response to the state cuts, including layoffs, will be announced next week.
If passed into law, the latest round of reduced appropriations will bring the percentage of state assistance at Northwest to a little more than 30 percent of its operations budget — down from more than 70 percent in the 1970s.
Statewide, Missouri spends between $4,000 and $9,000 a year per enrolled college student, depending on the institution, but around $16,000 for each prisoner incarcerated by the Department of Corrections. That disparity became an issue during Wednesday's testimony
"How can we continue to spend significantly more on non-violent incarcerated individuals than on spending per full-time equivalent student?" Jasinksi asked.
One possible source of new funding for higher education is a proposed increase in the tax on cigarettes, which Jasinski mentioned, though his inquiry reportedly elicited no response from committee members. At 17 cents a pack, Missourians pay the lowest cigarette tax in the country. Most other states have set rates at well over a dollar.
Calling Gov. Jay Nixon's budget proposal a "game changer," Jasinski said it would return state funding at Northwest to 1998 levels. He added that his comparison was based on actual dollars not adjusted for inflation.
In addition, since tuition increases in Missouri are linked to the Consumer Price Index, Jasinski said raising tuition the allowed 3 percent will barely cover higher costs tied to inflation.
"Thus, we are looking at somewhere north of $4 million in funding cuts," Jasinski said.
"This factors in the 12.5 percent proposed budget decrease and our commitment to a multi-year compensation approach that is imperative as we seek to retain and attract the best faculty and staff. ..."
Jasinski told the committee that Northwest is both efficiently run and dedicated to keeping higher education accessible and affordable.
But he also said he would "be remiss in not mentioning that we should consider what message we are sending prospective students and employees as they consider a Missouri public higher education institution. States around us are investing in higher education. Missouri can and should, too."
Jasinski noted that from 2008 through 2012, state appropriations for Northwest have shrunk from 41.5 percent to 34.9 percent of the school's operations budget. He also said that in 1998, the year in which state spending would be equivalent to the proposed budget, state dollars accounted for 54 percent of general operations and academic spending.
He further argued that both costs and expectations have grown. Northwest has, for example, significantly increased enrollment in recent years and doubled the amount it dedicates to scholarships.
"We all should clearly articulate the facts on affordability," Jasinski said. "We have shifted costs of public higher education from the state to institutions and students alike."
