Matt Cooper
Managing Editor
On Tuesday, Aug. 9, the Kansas Board of Regents approved a budget for Butler Community College. The new appropriation of funds for the 2016-2017 fiscal year includes a four percent reduction in funding from the state of Kansas.
President Kim Krull informed all faculty and staff of this in an email, which was sent out on Monday, Aug. 22.
With the reduction in funding, talks are set to begin in the month of October between members of the Butler Board of Trustees and faculty on the matter.
According to President Krull, these talks will be held in a constructive effort to distribute funds for the next year in a way such as to limit any detrimental effects of waning support from the state.
“We absorb these budget cuts,” Krull said. “The primary goal is to limit the impact.”
Krull mentioned as well that she did not foresee any faculty loss, severances of student programs or reductions in student worker hours alongside the initial four percent reduction in state support.
That assertion was despite a possible two percent midterm cut, which may also impact Butler in the middle of the fiscal year.
Some Butler staff are a mix of optimistic and ambivalent that a cut in funding would not affect them directly.
Professor of Philosophy and Religion Terry Sader talked about the big picture of Kansas budget cuts.
“I do not think there is a chance Butler couldn’t pay its bills,” Sader said. “But the state is just causing real havoc among higher education institutions.”
Professor of English Mac Thompson commented on his trust in the administration’s capability to keep a handle on the budget while keeping faculty and students well supported.
“I dare say,” Thompson said. “We are half way prepared.”
Vice President of Finance Kent Williams spoke to the administration’s anticipation of the state’s decision to divert revenue flow to the college this year.
“We actually anticipated a five percent cut,” Williams said. “The good thing is we still had an excess in encumbered cash. The bad thing is we have this deficit budget situation.”
The Board of Trustees has planned for fund reductions by way of conservatively balancing the budget. However, even with the college preparing for a hit from the capital, Butler having a $1.4 million dollar budget deficit overall will likely make the process of deciding just how money will be dispersed for the next year all the more difficult.
Williams could not confirm any faculty or program changes.
“There have been no decisions made at this point yet,” he said. “But that does not mean that nothing will be done.”
Though what does all of this really mean?
Butler has raised student fees by $3 per credit hour, the Board of Trustees has approved a 1.5 percent faculty raise for the coming year, two full time Grizzly Adventures employees were terminated last summer and the school has a $1.4 million dollar deficit.
All of this raises questions as to whether or not Butler administrators are capable of making good on initiatives to mitigate the effects of the new state budget reduction.