TVCC board battens down the funding hatches
While enrollment is up, officials want to be prepared for state financial woes
By Larry Meyer
Argus Observer
Friday, November 21, 2008 11:12 AM PST
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| Work on the fountain project at Treasure Valley Community College is nearing completion, and college officials and staff are excited about the result and the new look it brings to campus. The fountain is the latest project to be completed on campus. |
ONTARIO — Treasure Valley Community College officials remain hopeful but realistic and they are already bracing for the worst as they wait for word on how Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski will deal with the projected shortfall in the state budget for the next biennium.
State economist Tom Potiowsky reported to state officials Wednesday an immediate funding shortfall of $142 million exists and also predicted the state revenues will be at least $830 million below what is needed to maintain current services.
At Tuesday’s TVCC board meeting President Jim Sorensen said enrollment is very good for fall quarter, and other officials commented the college broke enrollment records during the fall advising day where faculty, advising and admissions staff met with students about their classes and signed many of them up for the next quarter.
In his written report, Eric Ellis, dean of student services, who was out of town, said, “We registered 1,010 students on Nov. 5 and 668 of those were full-time students.
“The last 681 students were registered at the fall advising day, with 234 of them being full-time,” he said.
The concern of TVCC officials is students will not be able to pay their bills, which otherwise will help the college deal with possible loss of revenue from the state.
On another college note, TVCC officials and staff expressed excitement about the fountain project, in front of the student services center. Brick work was recently completed as was the planting of trees and the installation of landscaping sod. Some tables and benches have been installed and work continues on the kiosk building.
A ribbon-cutting is planned for next spring.
After interviewing two candidates, the board appointed Jed Myers, Nyssa, to fill the board position vacated by Tik Moore, who has moved out of the college district. Myers, who works at Zions Bank in Weiser, will be up for election in the spring to complete Moore’s term on the board. Myers will be sworn in at the next board meeting.
The board also interviewed Dr. Ben Peterson, an Ontario dentist.
