House and Senate Release Budget Proposals

Evergreen Roundtable Discussion on the Budget Planned for Monday

We reached another budget milestone this week with the release of Senate and House budget proposals in the state legislature.  The proposals differ in their approaches to balancing the state budget, but they do provide another indication of the size of potential budget cuts here at Evergreen. 

On a positive note, based in part on the collective work faculty, staff, students and administration have been doing to inform the legislature, both the Senate and House proposals preserve the State Need Grant, a critical source of financial aid for our students.  The fate of other state financial aid (e.g. state work study) is uncertain. 

While we are still reviewing the documents and numbers, the Senate proposal appears to reduce Evergreen’s state funding by about $1.6 million for the remainder of the current biennium (about 6.3% of our state funding or 3.1% of our overall funding).  This includes an assumption of some version of a furlough bill (accounting for $426,000 of that total).  The House proposal would cut Evergreen by about $768,000 (about 3% of state funding and 1.5% of total) and also includes furlough reductions equaling $415,000. Both proposals assume some level of new revenue (e.g. tax increases). 

At the request of the Washington State Labor Council, and with the support of the Labor Center and its advisory committee, the House budget includes language transferring the Labor Center from Evergreen to South Seattle Community College.  This would locate the Center at a college campus with a significant presence of unions and apprenticeship programs, in an area of the Puget Sound with significant union density, and in the population center of the state.  The proposal shifts $150,000 in state funding from Evergreen to SSCC.

The House and Senate budget proposals will now go through a conference process.  The final proposal may reflect elements from each. 

We’re planning a roundtable discussion on the budget on Monday, March 1 from 3:30-5 p.m. in Lecture Hall 1.  Student, faculty, staff and administration representatives involved in budget and legislative issues will talk about their priorities and the work they have been doing related to the legislative session.  Administration representatives will also provide some preliminary information on what the legislative budget may mean for Evergreen.   There are still a number of unknowns, but we will share what we know at this point.  Specific budget actions here on campus will depend on the final budget from the legislature, so we are not likely to have definitive information on how budget cuts will be implemented.  Our hope is to have a better idea about scope and process soon. 

Advocating for Evergreen Students

Some members of the campus community have asked recently what the college is doing about proposed budget cuts and other legislative action.  Staff, faculty, students and administrators have been actively advocating for the college and its students for months; even before the start of the current legislative session.  Budget cuts, student aid and student access to higher education are all priority topics. 

Common themes and messages:

• Protect student aid (State Need Grant, state work study, other state financial aid)
• Cuts in state support for higher education have been larger than many people realize
• Cuts to higher education will stall economic recovery today and economic prosperity in the future
• Students and their families can’t continue to be the state’s rainy day fund (through continued steep increases in tuition

Here are some examples of the wide range of advocates working to tell the Evergreen and higher education stories from an institutional, faculty, staff and student perspective:

Our Government Relations Director Julie Suchanek and her associate Kelly Norman (also an MPA student) are working daily with legislators and others to tell the Evergreen story effectively.  Check out their blog for an update on key issues and legislation.  You can also take part in weekly legislative updates in person on Fridays from 3:45-5 p.m. in Library 3201A (board room).  Staff, faculty and students are welcome.

President Purce has been actively engaging legislators, state leaders and the media to advocate on behalf of Evergreen.  Here’s a recent editorial he wrote for the Tacoma News Tribune (the state’s second largest newspaper) that outlines some areas of concern.

Steve Trotter (Executive Director of Operational Budget and Planning), college vice presidents and other senior leaders have been involved in preparing information, testifying and providing feedback on evolving legislation.

Marketing, Communications and College Relations staff created fact sheets for legislators, helped facilitate newspaper editorial board visits, and continue to work actively with the media. 

Alumni Relations has been working with alumni associations from public baccalaureates across the state to develop coordinated education and outreach efforts to more effectively tell our story to key constituents.

Here are some of the other groups that have also been active in budget-related issue:

United Faculty of Evergreen

United Faculty of Washington State

Washington Federation of State Employees

Geoduck Student Union

Washington Student Association

Olympia Coalition for a Fair Budget and the Evergreen Coalition for a Fair Budget (higher education topics)