Associate provost Larry Howell explained the effects of the current 10 percent tuition increase and budget cuts that will affect the University.In July, University president Stephen Hulbert said he was waiting for the Board of Regents and a legislative oversight committee to approve a draft of Nicholls’ agreement to improve graduation rates among other things in return for the ability to raise tuition 10 percent every semester, as per the LA GRAD Act.
For Nicholls, this increase is $200 a semester, and according to its current contract, TOPS will also increase. This semester, TOPS recipients at Nicholls will receive $71 more than last semester. This amount will not cover the tuition increase, Howell said, but it may help.
While TOPS increased, Nicholls’ scholarships decreased in award amount. Awards were reduced by five percent for incoming freshmen and 10 percent for continuing students.
“The reason for this is that continuing students have more opportunities to receive scholarships than freshmen,” Howell said.
The decision to reduce the amount awarded by scholarships was made after they were awarded. Howell said that fewer scholarships will be awarded to incoming freshmen next semester instead.
In addition to the scholarship cuts, other adjustments have been made to make up for budget cuts, such as not fully replacing lost faculty and staff from last semester, larger classes, more classes per professor, cuts in supplies and travel funds and no pay raises for the third year in a row.
“With all of the retirements and faculty leaving last semester for other reasons, we made the decision to not replace some of those faculty,” Howell said. “Instead, we gave professors more and larger classes to make up for the loss.”
Some students are concerned about the results of the budget cuts, particularly the new class sizes.
Tamara Houston, nursing major from Destrehan, was afraid the change in class sizes would make learning more difficult. “You won’t have the time you need with that many students in one class. Professors won’t be as focused on each person.”
Shanerrika Glover, freshman from Bossier City, said she was disappointed about having larger classes. “The reason I came to Nicholls was because of the small size,” Glover said.
However, Glover felt that as an incoming freshman, the budget cuts did not affect her as much. “I’m not like every other student who’s been coming here expecting to pay the same tuition. I haven’t been coming here for years and paying the same tuition. Since it’s what I’m coming into, I’ll adjust to it easier.”
Faculty members are also concerned about the budget cuts.
James Butler, interim department head of government and social sciences, said he felt budget cuts were “weakening the status of the University, in particular, higher education throughout Louisiana.”
Butler said he is concerned that it will be harder to deliver quality instruction with less faculty and larger class sizes.
Ray Giguette, associate professor of computer science, said he felt that Hulbert was doing his best in the situation. “It’s difficult, but things happen that we can’t plan for.”
Giguette said it would be harder to teach with larger and more classes, but he will do the best he can until the situation is passed.
Even though there have been many changes this semester, Howell said there will be more to come as tuition continues to increase and mid-year budget cuts are expected in September.
