Marble: Crowder cuts to stay

Higher education changes at the state level and environmental challenges to the MARET construction project were discussed at the Crowder College board meeting Monday.

The board opened their meeting with a tax levy hearing setting the rate at the same rate it has been since the college was established: 40-cents per $100 valuation.

Dr. Alan Marble, college president, reported on Gov. Jay Nixon’s mid-August higher education summit.

“The cuts that we have experienced in the past should be considered permanent,” Marble told the board, “That includes also the cuts to scholarship programs.”

Educators were presented with the picture of how the state’s budget has eroded over the past several years. They were asked to up the use of technology in teaching with expanded online offerings and they talked about larger class sizes, yet the state emphasized the importance of higher education in employment, noting that unemployed workers and those with a history of unemployment are statistically likely to have less education. Tuition, held stable for two years by college pledges to the governor in return for full funding, will see increases in the next year.

Attendees were told that in 2009 five new college courses were introduced for every one that was retired, so the state is instituting a review of academic programs for a Feb. 1, 2011 report on what programs should be discontinued or shared. Old programs, explained dean of instruction Dr. Brad Tyndall, are not pulled from the catalog and retired because if the school wants to revive a program, pulling out the old paperwork is much easier and faster than starting from scratch. The state review will revisit academic programs, low priority degrees and classes statewide. Board members expressed concern over the possibility that those could be combined with other colleges’ offerings without their input.

“I worry about this state survey,” said board member Jim Tatum. “We’ve got to make sure we’re doing what we need to make it work.”

“We just hope we have the opportunity to make the case,” Marble answered.
Student retention, increased cooperation and collaboration among state colleges and a sustained funding program that cuts core money delivered from the state and focuses more on strategic initiatives and performance incentives were also discussed.

The state wants to up the number of graduates in Missouri from under 40 percent to 60 percent. That will take more than 3,000 Missouri graduates a year.

The message from the state, Marble said, is to do more with fewer state dollars.

“It was a big challenge that the governor laid out before us,” Marble said.
Board president Andy Wood summed up the discussion by noting that state cuts will affect the school.

“There are not going to be any tax increases and the government can be cut,” Wood said, “And guess what? We’re the government.”

MARET

An Aug. 20 letter from the Department of the Interior notified Crowder that further study on endangered cavefish is necessary before they can clear the environmental assessment. During a 30-day comment period the fish issue, which Crowder officials though had been resolved, resurfaced. Researchers want to drill 15 to 20 feet below the proposed site and drop cameras to see if it is on top of Ozark cavefish habitat, but Crowder is required to complete the environmental assessment before they drill. The Catch-22 has left the college with no answer on how long that could take, and they are hoping they do not need to apply for grant extensions again.

“Hopefully we’ll move along and we won’t harm any cave fish,” Marble said.
In other business board members also reviewed a goals and objectives report and discussed the new software that will allow direct tracking of institutional goals with the board’s goals. During the next meeting the board will review goals for the upcoming year.

A staff blackboard site will allow adjuncts a new tool to submit reports and to orient themselves as part of the Crowder community.

The board reviewed the fine arts schedule for the next year and heard plans to improve speech and debate at the Crowder campus.

Summer maintenance included roofing repairs to the student center, the lower roof of Elsie Plaster was replaced and the cafeteria roof will be replaced. New air conditioning units on will be more energy efficient, with an estimated savings of $4,000 to $5,000 per year.

The badly pitted Farber parking lot will be reworked and lighting installed in the fan shaped lot adjacent to it. Temporary parking will be set up during the project with the option to keep those temporary lots as more students join the Neosho campus. A final location has not yet been determined for the 100 temporary parking spaces.

A signage program around the campus will color code room numbers inside and install building names facing the quadrangle so students don’t get lost.

“Since most all of our buildings are connected,” said Ron Granger, dean of business and support services, “students have a hard time telling what building they’re in.”