The last
five points address how we can maintain the financial viability of our
Community College system in this time of budget crisis:
6. Smart
enrollment management/optimization. It's not just about how many students
we can enroll; it's about recruiting the right mix of students to the
right combination of classes to make sure that we are using our limited
resources in the most beneficial way possible.
7. Selective
or differential fee increases to maintain affordability. Increased
fees may be a reality of the new state budget, but we need to make sure
that basic opportunities are still affordable to all. Some courses will
command a higher tuition value than others, and we should use the extra
income to offset the recent across-the-board tuition increases. We should
introduce flexibility into the tuition system to maintain affordability
while meeting our revenue obligations.
8. Develop
alternative sources of funding. We should continue to aggressively
promote and expand programs such as the San Mateo County Community College
Foundation, Employer/College Partnerships, Loan Pools, etc. to increase
the availability of scholarship funds and college funding to make sure
that our Colleges are both affordable and economically viable. Some programs,
such as student/staff daycare or library services, might be expanded to
serve broader audiences in order to generate additional revenue that will
help cover their costs.
9. Cost
reduction through shared governance. In addition to revenue enhancement,
we need to keep a close eye on the expense side of the ledger as well.
This is best done by having all of the affected constituencies (administration,
faculty, staff, students, and the community) involved in finding opportunities
for cost savings.
10. Spend
bond measure money wisely. We are fortunate to have recently passed
a bond measure for our Community Colleges. We need to invest those funds
wisely in maintaining and improving the physical infrastructure, especially
in ways that can help lower our overhead costs so that we can continue
to offer the highest quality education to the most students possible.
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