UAFS officials talk budgets, faculty and student growth

Increases with budgets, faculty and student numbers are signs of continued growth for what one University of Arkansas at Fort Smith official called a “fledgling” four-year university.

The UAFS Board of Visitors gathered Tuesday (June 23) on the campus for a quarterly meeting during which budget changes, faculty additions and increased student enrollments were the primary topics.

BUDGETS
UAFS Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Mark Horn outlined budgetary changes, noting that the largest budget — the unrestricted education and general revenue tally — for fiscal year 2010 is $54.37 million, up 4.86% over the previous year. Part of that revenue comes from a 4.3% increase in tuition and fees that will see the average student costs go from $4,410 for two semesters to $4,600.

Horn said even with the tuition and fee increases that the university is “still the most affordable” among Arkansas’ four-year schools.

State funding for the year will total $23.29 million, but include $494,864 of “one-time” money that will not be used to support recurring needs, Horn said. Not counting the one-time funds, the state funding support is less than in the previous year, marking the second consecutive decline in state dollars, Horn explained.

The university is not providing across-the-board pay raises in fiscal 2010 because larger raises and pay adjustments were made in the two previous years. However, UAFS Chancellor Dr. Paul Beran said he sent an e-mail to all employees saying his first budget priority in subsequent years to to reinstitute raises.

Beran and Horn also noted that UAFS is one of the few — UA Fayetteville being the only other — universities in the UA system to not use education and general revenue to support athletic programs.

“I’m very proud of the fact that we don’t do that,” Beran told the board.

ENROLLMENT
Dr. Ray Wallace, provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs, offered a broad review of faculty and student enrollment changes, with Wallace only half-joking that a higher than expected Fall semester enrollment may possibly cause a “scramble” for instructors.

There were 2,320 students enrolled for Summer I and 1,443 enrolled for Summer II, up 8% and 3%, respectively, over the 2008 summer periods. Early enrollment for the Fall semester stands at 4,979, up 11% over the 2008 period. Wallace said the percentage is likely to decrease, but remains well above the estimated 5% gain in enrollment.

Sam T. Sicard, a vice president of First National Bank of Fort Smith and chairman of the board of visitors, asked Wallace if the student increase might be the result of non-traditional students enrolling after being laid off. Wallace said there is some of that happening, but he also said he is seeing “more acceptance” from high school students that the UAFS is a true four-year university providing a broad university experience.

FACULTY CHANGES
In terms of faculty, Wallace said he was proud to report that the number of faculty with doctorates continues to grow at what is in effect a “fledgling” four-year university. In the Fall of 2001, 15.5% (22) of the UAFS faculty held doctorates. For this next Fall semester, 49.1% (107) of the total faculty of 218 will have doctorates.

Kyle Parker, a member of the UAFS board of visitors, asked Wallace about the potential obstacle in recruiting faculty to a university that has moved away from tenured appointments. There are some who reject the UAFS for that reason, but Wallace said such rejection is rare because more universities are reducing tenured positions. Also, he said the “dynamic” nature of a university adding new programs, staff and students is a strong attraction for many of those the UAFS seeks to recruit.

“And Fort Smith is an easy sell. Fort Smith is a good place to live,” Wallace explained.

Beran emphasized in his report that the chancellors, deans and faculty all know that the top priority for the next semesters is retaining more students through graduation. Beran said the focus of helping students complete their four years and obtain a degree is the “cause célèbre” of his administration.