CC raises fees following Perry’s budget cuts

The cost of an education is going up at Clarendon College thanks to Gov. Rick Perry’s June 15 veto of more than $460,000 appropriated for the college.

CC Regents in their regular meeting last Thursday voted unanimously to raise tuition for the coming academic year. In-district students will be paying an additional $7 per semester hour, out-of-district students will pay another $9 per hour, and out-of-state students will be tapped for an extra $13 per hour.

The tuition increases were already planned, but college officials had intended to use the money for other purposes prior to Perry’s veto blow. Four dollars of the increased rates is dedicated to helping pay for the college’s new buses. The rest is now going to offset the loss of state funds.

The board also approved increases in other course and lab fees as CC President Myles Shelton outlined a preliminary plan to deal with the funding cut.

Shelton said regents will have to raise property taxes, but he said the college would have to wait for property value information from the Donley Appraisal District before determining what new tax rate could be set. Other steps Shelton suggested included contracting out custodian duties at the CC Pampa Center, delaying a variety of college purchases, and reducing travel expenses.

These steps, along with savings in workers’ compensation premiums and the sale of surplus equipment, could help offset as much as $244,000 of the revenue reduction. Further steps and more tuition increases would follow next year, but Shelton thought the board would only need to raise taxes this year.

“This is just a first step that protects all of our employees,” Shelton said.

Shelton is leaving his post June 28 to take a new job as president of Galveston College but told the board he did not want to leave CC without some plan to face the financial crisis caused by the governor.

Perry’s veto affects funding for fiscal year 2008-2009 by eliminating state appropriations used to pay for health insurance of faculty and administrative staffs at all 50 Texas community colleges.

“It is possible that the Legislative Budget Board could do something to restore these funds, or the Legislature itself could give all the money back when it convenes in January 2009,” Shelton said. “But we can’t wait that long. It will be too late by then.”

Incoming Interim President William R. Auvenshine said all community colleges were caught off guard by the governor’s action.

“(Perry) said nothing about this, and our insurance was actually in the governor’s own budget that he presented to the Legislature,” Auvenshine said. “The committees heard all the discussion and elected to fund us.”

College’s are under a state mandate to provide insurance for their employees, Auvenshine said.

“At a time when we’re trying to get tax relief and close the gap in this state, (Perry) has put this burden on the backs of taxpayers and students,” he said.

Auvenshine praised Shelton and his staff for developing a plan to see that all CC employees will continue with their health insurance as promised.

In other college business, regents hired Auvenshine as interim president and approved hiring Andy McLatchy to teach government and Emily Rowland to lead the equine science program in the coming academic year. The regents also approved hiring Jerry Gage to be a part time RFO instructor.

Bids on tax delinquent properties at Howardwick were accepted.

A new contract with Great Western Dining with a four percent increase was approved.

The board accepted the depository bid of Herring Bank. No other banks submitted a bid.

Dean Tex Buckhaults reported that the college had a 91 percent completion rate (the percent of students who take a course all the way to the end whether they pass or fail) for fall 2006 and spring 2007 semesters, which is similar the last few years.

Buckhaults said the college is up over 100,000 contact hours since Shelton came on board as president in 1999.

The board also considered and approved new faculty rank appointments based on education and experience as follows: Instructor – Russell Estlack, Melissa McCoy, Lydia Menke, Jonea Rima, Carolyn Smith, and Matt Vanderburg; Assistant Professor – Jennifer Black, Charla Crump, Scarlet Estlack, William “Bill” Huey, Rusty Kennedy, Jack McCarty, Kent Miller, Darryl Perryman, Chad Smith, Tony Starnes, Peggy Stewart, Robert Taylor, and Steven Williams; Associate Professor – Pam Denney, Cynthia Ewing, Jan Haynes, Phyllis Norton, Michael Tibbets, Johnny Treichel, Laban Tubbs, Frank Vance, and Larry Wiginton; and Professor – Gene Denney, Joseph “Skip” Frazier, Jimidene Murphey, and Ken Wilson.