Budget Update April 28, 2009

From: Purce, Les
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 4:40 PM
To: All Staff & Faculty DL

The Legislature adjourned late Sunday night having wrapped up the bulk of its business, including setting budgets for The Evergreen State College.   The final legislative budget would reduce our state support by just over $14 million or 13.2% for the biennium.  The legislature also authorized the Board to increase tuition up to 14% in both years for resident undergradate students.  If the Board authorizes the tuition increases that the legislature imagines, the additional revenue would make a net budget reduction of $8.7 million or 8.2% for the biennium (10% in the first year and 6.4% in the second year).  

The final legislative budget that we saw this weekend differed substantially from the earlier versions we had been working from.  Most significantly, the legislature responded to our earlier concern that the difference between the cuts in the first and second year was too great.  In the end, they made the cuts in the first and second years equal, which will be a help in managing our reductions.  Nevertheless, it will take a few days for the Vice Presidents and Budget Coordinators to fully incorporate these new numbers into the planning work we've been doing this year to arrive at a draft integrated list of budget cuts and tuition increases.   We had tentatively scheduled a campus budget forum for tomorrow afternoon, but to allow time for our work, we have decided to hold the all campus budget forum on Wednesday, May 6 from 1:00 to 2:30 in Lecture Hall 1.  I hope that you can join us there.

Legislative Conference Budget for Evergreen (PDF)