Despite facing a $1.64 million mid-year budget reduction, Nicholls will avoid laying off faculty and eliminating classes this semester due in part to revenue from increased enrollment and charging a percentage of the reduction to auxiliary services.The University’s share of the reduction, an $83.9 million statewide cut to higher education, represents 5 percent of Nicholls’ state-appropriated budget. Combined with the two budget reductions last year, the Louisiana State Government has reduced about 17 percent of the University’s budget. Larry Howell, associate provost of academic affairs, said a 5 percent cut to the remaining budget is actually a 25 percent reduction because the University has already committed 80 percent of its budget for the school year.
Howell said the last two cuts, amounting to about $6.8 million, came as a surprise to Nicholls. This resulted in faculty layoffs, fewer course offerings, larger class sizes and decreased library hours among other setbacks to compensate for the reduction. “We had so few options to pick from last semester,” Howell said. “We don’t have to do those things this time.”
Howell said Nicholls will not be laying off faculty or reducing the number of classes available due to the mid-year budget cut. The University did not add new classes for the spring semester, however, despite a 3.7 increase in enrollment. Nicholls and McNeese State University are the only two universities in Louisiana to have increased enrollment this school year. Howell said an increase in enrollment does not always equate to an increase in budget, but the increased revenue from tuition is “handy.”
The University is looking to charge auxiliary services with absorbing a portion of the reduction. While auxiliary services is self-supporting and must show a profit, Howell said the University finances various utilities and personnel for auxiliary services, such as electricity and human resources. “We could charge them a small percentage if necessary,” Howell said.
There has been talk of other universities in the state laying off faculty this year, Howell said. “Nicholls cut to the bone last semester, but they’re experiencing this for the first time,” he said. “We were hit harder first.”
Howell said while Nicholls will continue to offer students what they need to progress toward graduation, the University will be very different four or five years from now, though ‘different’ does not mean ‘worse.’ “We are going to be here for students as best we can,” Howell said. “I don’t see that changing.”
Governor Jindal suggested the Tucker Commission, a group of national higher education experts and Louisiana-based officials organized to improve the state’s higher education facilities, finds a way to reduce Louisiana’s higher education budget by $146 million. The commission’s final report is due Feb. 12 to the Board of Regents.
