Winthrop’s battle for state support begins —again
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 8:04PM By Jonathan McFadden
mcfaddenj@mytjnow.com
The beginning of a new legislative session could mean various things for state agencies, but for students of a certain liberal arts college that’s seen its state support chopped in half in the past seven years, it could mean the difference between chucking out more or less money next academic year.
But, don’t count on finding out too much before the session’s close on June 7.
With a session clouded with two major elections —the first-in-the-South Republican primary this month and the state primary in June— and state deficit woes, state leaders are reluctant to engage in discussions regarding college and university funding.
On Jan. 10, the Republican-dominated legislature reconvened in Columbia where the joint assembly of senators and state representatives promised to find a solution for higher state revenues but refrained from suggesting that excess money would be poured back into the educational system, welfare programs or job creation.
Instead, lawmakers may have to focus on repaying the state’s debts to the federal government and compensating for the rising costs of Medicaid.
So, what does Winthrop’s administration do at a time like this?
“We will continue to press for a return of state support to Winthrop in meeting with Gov. Haley and legislative leaders,” DiGiorgio said in a campus-wide e-mail to students, faculty and staff on Jan. 9.
DiGiorgio said sate leaders realize employees at Winthrop have not received salary increases in more than three years and, “they are vowing to address that issue this year.”
Each 1 percent salary increase would cost the state about $14 million, which may be why Gov. Nikki Haley’s proposed budget doesn’t include pay raises for state employees.
“I want to give state employees raises. I think they deserve it,” Haley said in a story by The State, “But it is more important we get these agencies in order in which [state employees] work in, and we give them stronger agencies to go into work everyday.”
State employees may be required to contribute more into the retirement system to help eliminate the retirement system’s $13 billion deficit, the story said.
Though Winthrop employees have gone without pay boosts in some time, the university did not have to implement mandated layoffs for full time faculty/staff, said Rebecca Masters, assistant to the president for public affairs, in a September story published by The Johnsonian.
As for more state funding for Winthrop, the university is receiving about $13 million —or 9.6 percent— now as opposed to the $26 million the university was awarded in 2005.
“Despite solid work by Winthrop employees to reduce our costs wherever possible while also protecting the experience of our students, these cumulative state budget reductions have meant some tuition increases where necessary in recent years,” DiGiorgio said in the e-mail.
Such years included the 2008/2009 academic year, when Winthrop lost $5.1 million (24 percent) of funding from the state. Federal stimulus funds, $3.4 million total, were allocated to Winthrop to cushion the void, but students still paid 8.3 percent more in tuition and fees.
In 2009/2010, Winthrop received less than $18 million from the state.
During the 2010/2011 academic year, Winthrop’s Board of Trustees mandated a 4.9 percent tuition increase, a number administrators hoped would be a cap for any potential future tuition upsurges.
A testament to their efforts was the 3.9 percent tuition increase students saw this academic year.
DiGiorio doesn’t anticipate the university will have any ideas on where Winthrop stands in terms of tuition costs for 2012/2013 until the end of the spring semester, he said in the e-mail.
Over the past several months, Gov. Nikki Haley has met with university presidents from across to state to begin crafting her accountability-based funding system.
It’s the same system Haley endorsed during her October visit to campus last semester.
Per the plan, schools that successfully meet four “measurables,” or criteria, would receive funding based on merit and not a “hand out,” she said during her October town hall meeting in the Richardson Ballroom.
Haley said it’s possible Winthrop could receive more funding if the university meets all four measurables —which include in-state enrollment, graduation rates, the university’s contribution to society and post-graduation job placement.
Last March, The Johnsonian studied Winthrop’s then-progress on the four measurables. Find those stories on mytjnow.com.
