FACULTY PONDERS BUDGET; STUDY REVEALS BIG GROWTH IN FUNDING

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Southeast Missouri State University's annual revenue has grown by 219 percent in actual dollars and 47 percent when adjusted for inflation over the past 13 years, a study shows.

The information was compiled by Faculty Senator Terry Sutton of the university's economics department.

At a meeting of the Faculty Senate Wednesday afternoon, Sutton and other senators said the university has experienced increased real funding and can afford an adequate faculty salary hike.

Faculty members are pushing for a 4 percent across-the-board pay raise for the 1991-92 fiscal year.

In addition, they want the university to absorb an anticipated 25 percent increase in the cost of family medical/tax sheltered annuity benefits.

The salary hike and the absorption of any increased premium cost regarding family medical/tax sheltered annuity benefits would cost the university slightly more than $1 million, according to the Faculty Senate Compensation Committee.

Faculty Senator Shelba Branscum, who heads the compensation committee and serves on the university Budget Committee, said: "I do hope that we will see a bit of a salary increase."

But she added that all the employee groups want the university to pick up the expected increased premium costs regarding family medical/tax sheltered annuity benefits.

Branscum said the budget is still being ironed out. "True to form, we're late in the year and nothing of substantial value has been done," she said of the budget committee meetings.

"The hard and fast news will come this summer," she added.

Branscum said the university administration has always presented "the illusion" that funding is so tight that there is little room for salary increases.

"They never talk about the huge hunk of things they fund," she said. "There are a million things, besides programming, that get funding.

"There are a lot of things around here that get money out of the budget. There are so many sacred cows around here," said Branscum. "Now that's the problem."

But faculty salaries continue to suffer, she maintained. "As far as I'm concerned, the skin has come off our backs for a long time," said Branscum.

"Every institution does a number of things that are particularly wasteful," said Alberta Dougan, Faculty Senate chairperson.

It was noted that the university could realize a savings by purchasing some items in bulk rather than individually.

Following the Faculty Senate meeting, Sutton discussed the funding situation with a Southeast Missourian reporter.

He said the university administration has blamed state government for a lack of funding. "But that's not true at all," he added.

Annual state funding for Southeast has increased by 167 percent in the past 13 years, from $11.3 million in 1977 to more than $30.27 million in 1990.

University fees have jumped 567 percent, from $1.9 million to $12.7 million.

Combined, there has been a 219-percent increase in annual fee and state revenue, from $14.2 million to $45.45 million, according to Sutton's figures.

When adjusted for inflation, state funding for Southeast has risen 23.2 percent, from $11.3 million in 1977 to $13.96 million in 1990.

Fee revenue has climbed 207 percent over the same period of time, from $1.9 million to $5.8 million, when adjusted for inflation, the figures show.

Combined, total annual income as adjusted for inflation has increased 47 percent, from $14.26 million to $20.96 million, Sutton's figures show.

Gross salary for Southeast's full professors has increased 93 percent from 1977 to 1990, Sutton said. Combined with fringe benefits, the total increase has been about 110 percent, he added.

But the cost of living as reflected in the Consumer Price Index has increased 116.8 percent nationally over the last 13 years, Sutton's figures show.

"Consequently, there has been a decrease in real income by faculty at Southeast while revenues in real terms have increased," said Sutton.

"The morale around here is really low," he added.

Sutton said Southeast's administrators need to do a better job of managing finances. "The administrators have been poor managers."

University officials, he said, have often taken actions after looking at the "benefits" without taking into account the costs.