C. Lacy Thompson
LBM Associate Editor
Louisiana College trustees adopted a record budget for the
coming year as the school faces financial challenges related to increased costs
and higher enrollment.
Louisiana College trustees adopted a record budget for the
coming year as the school faces financial challenges related to increased costs
and higher enrollment.
Trustees also approved a policy change to make the 2000 Baptist
Faith and Message statement the school’s statement of faith.
In addition, they were presented with a proposed change in
administrative structure that would delegate many day-to-day responsibilities
to a provost, allowing the president of the college more freedom to travel and
promote the school.
In a meeting free from debate or dissension, President Rory
Lee reported to trustees that enrollment at the Louisiana Baptist school is
at its largest in 23 years. The spring semester headcount of 1,048 is 14.2 percent
ahead of last year’s figure.
Lee also reported projections show the college is expected
to close its fiscal year at the end of July “in the black” financially.
However, challenges remain.
In a presentation of the proposed budget for 2001-2002, Lee
noted that the school faces several cost increases.
Mandatory increases related to insurances, utilities, scholarship
and other items total almost $1.4 million next year.
In addition, the school needs about $470,000 to fund new initiatives
and make adjustments to salaries. Initiatives include an English-as-Second-Language
program, a program of teacher certification and a move to hire an enrollment
consultant.
Altogether, the needs led trustees to approve a budget of more
than $16.1 million. The mark is an increase of $1.8 million (11.5 percent) from
the current year.
The budget is based on a projected full-time equivalent enrollment
of 1,129 students at the school. To reach that, the school will have to record
an increase of 45 from the current enrollment. Resident hall enrollment must
increase as well, with a projected 615 students on campus and another 20 involved
in an overseas program. Last fall’s resident hall enrollment was 624.
Meanwhile, even as the college faces the challenge of increased
costs, it is seeing Cooperative Program support decline in a way due to higher
enrollment, Lee explained.
While Cooperative Program support has increased in recent years,
the amount of Cooperative Program dollars per student has gone down significantly
because of the higher enrollment at the school.
Total Cooperative Program dollars from the state convention
has grown almost $400,000 in three years, Lee noted.
At the same time, higher enrollment means Cooperative Program
support per student has dropped from $3,300 a person in 1999-00 to a projected
$2,810 next year.
“That’s a significant amount of dollars we have to
come up with in some way,” Lee explained to trustees.
Endowment is a similar story. With increased enrollment, scholarship
monies are stretched thinner. In addition, market performance has meant reduced
growth in endowment funds.
Such concerns led trustees to approve a budget that includes
a $13 per semester hour increase in tuition for students returning to the school
next year – from $225 to $238.
In addition, trustees approved a move to a flat tuition fee
for incoming freshmen next year – $260 per semester hour. The move means
a student entering the college in 2001 is guaranteed a tuition cost of $260
per semester hour for four years.
Cost increases also were approved in room and board and meals.
Overall, the costs add up to about a 4.6 percent increase for a full-time resident
hall student at the school, Lee told trustees.
“It’s still a bargain,” he emphasized.
Indeed, this year, Louisiana College ranked 41st among 49 Baptist
schools in terms of annual costs. Room, board and tuition at the highest-priced
college – Mercer University – was calculated at $22,886.
The lowest-priced school was Clear Creek College at $6,260.
Louisiana College costs totaled $10,880.
Next year, even if no other school in the ranking increased
costs – an unlikely prospect – Louisiana College would rank 38th for
freshmen entering at the fixed $260-per-semester-hour rate. For returning students
paying the $238-per-semester-hour rate, it would rank 42nd.
Nevertheless, Lee acknowledged it is difficult to adopt a cost
increase this year because of the circumstances.
“In the past, we’ve been able to say (to students,
‘There’s a tuition increase, and this is what you’re getting
for it,’” the school leader explained. “This year, we have to
say to them, ‘There’s a tuition increase, and you’re paying for
utilities and insurance.’ ”
Meanwhile, on another financial front, trustees authorized
the school administration to proceed with plans to build a new resident facility
on campus – even though the expected amount of money had not been raised
for the project.
Last December, trustees authorized the school to begin construction
as soon as $1.2 million was raised for the project. To date, $880,000 has been
raised.
Nevertheless, trustees agreed there is a pressing need for
resident space at the school – and authorized the college to proceed with
the project as fund raising continues.
The authorization stipulates the new facility is be constructed
at a cost of no more than $1.55 million.
This year, resident hall enrollment exceeded capacity at the
start of the fall semester, requiring the school to renovate additional rooms
and even house some students off campus for a period of time.
On another front, trustees approved a change to establish the
2000 Baptist Faith and Message statement as the school’s doctrinal statement.
The move was approved without debate or dissension.
Trustee leaders noted the change updates a written policy to
reflect what already is practice. Administrators reported to trustees in December
that the 2000 version of the faith statement was being used when interviewing
prospective faculty and staff.
The change relates only to the hiring of new faculty, who are
asked to agree that they are “aware of and can teach or perform professionally
in harmony with the Louisiana College doctrinal statement (Baptist Faith and
Message statement of 2000).”
The policy also stipulates that a prospective faculty or staff
member reflects a commitment to Jesus Christ, demonstrates devotion to church,
exemplifies a Christian lifestyle and will teach and work from a Christian perspective
at the school.
In proposing the change, a trustee leader affirmed the involvement
of Lee and other administrators in the hiring of faculty and expressed appreciation
for their work.
The trustee also noted that a proposal is expected in the fall
meeting related to the hiring of non-tenure positions. The school occasionally
has to fill needed positions on a part-time basis while a tenure-track faculty
member is sought.
In the past, a few of those employments have raised concern
with trustees. However, trustee Michael Brunet of Metairie said he expects the
academic affairs committee to present a proposal in September “everyone
will feel comfortable with.”
Trustees also will be asked in September to approve a restructuring
of the school administration. The plan could have been voted on last week, but
Lee told trustees he preferred to present it to them and allow time for consideration.
The current structure has four areas of responsibility –
academic affairs, student life, business affairs and development. All areas
answer to the president of the school.
The proposed plan would add a fifth area – institutional
advancement. The new area would involve admissions, student recruitment, public
relations, student retention and student aid. Those concerns now fall under
the area of development.
In addition, the new plan would distribute authority at the
school.
Under the plan, a provost position would be established to
handle day-to-day operations when the president is away from the school. The
areas of academic affairs, student life, business affairs and institutional
advancement would answer to the provost.
The provost, athletic director and development area would continue
to answer to the president of the school.
The change is needed because of the proposed capital campaign
in the next several years, Lee explained.
The campaign will require Lee to be away from the college for
considerable periods in order to promote the school.
“People have not adequately been told the Louisiana College
story,” Lee said.
The new structure would provide time for him to tell the story
and to raise funds, the school leader told trustees.
The school also is planning to increase marketing efforts in
Louisiana and surrounding states, trustees were told.
Louisiana College posted a record year in fund raising last
year, totaling $10.9 million. The next-highest year came in 1998, when the college
raised $8.2 million.
Even so, currently, only about 6 percent to 8 percent of Louisiana
College alumni make any contributions to the school.