SEMO regents approve moves to reduce costs

An academic college and a school at Southeast Missouri State University will become one. On Friday the board of regents approved consolidation of the College of Science and Mathematics and the School of Polytechnic Studies.

The College of Science, Technology and Agriculture will be in existence effective July 1. The change comes as the university prepares for a cut in state appropriations of nearly 8 percent for fiscal year 2013 after seeing a combined 12.2 percent cut for fiscal years 2012 and 2011.

University provost Dr. Ron Rosati told the board before the vote Friday that the consolidation will facilitate collaboration between the college and school and that the decision to make the change was discussed extensively and worked through with administration, faculty and students.

Regent James Limbaugh said companies nationwide are looking for opportunities to consolidate in the way that the university will combine schools.

Not all faculty were on board with the idea originally, according to university president Dr. Ken Dobbins. There were some misconceptions tied to the proposal to make the consolidation, he said, such as faculty in the School of Polytechnic Studies worries that the change would affect their ability to receive tenure. Dobbins said that was not the case and that faculty and students shouldn't be affected.

"This is totally administrative," he said.

The university will see the savings by eliminating the need for two deans and open associate dean and administrative assistant positions in the School of Polytechnic

Studies.

University vice president of finance and administration Kathy Mangels said the university has overhauled its budget review process this year in preparation for cuts caused by a drop in state funding. Gov. Jay Nixon announced in January a plan to cut 12.5 percent from the budgets of public colleges and universities, but the blow was softened by early February with a promise of $40 million more from a mortgage lender settlement the state expects to

receive.

The budget is going through the state legislature and hasn't been finalized.

"The things we've done have been by no means easy for the campus," Mangels said.

Other changes already in place or planned for reducing the university's budget by around $3.3 million include changes to benefit programs, reducing academic and nonacademic operational costs, leaving open some faculty and staff seats and hiring nontenure track faculty to replace faculty who have already retired or will retire at the end of the spring semester. The university is also depending on increasing student enrollment to continue bringing in

revenue.

Rate increases

Regents also approved raising room and board rates by 2.43 percent and 4.96 percent, respectively. University officials say the board rate increase is required in part due to anticipated inflating costs of food, while the room rate increase is due to costs of necessary maintenance and repair. The board also approved a 3 percent increase for nontraditional housing rates and approved a $22.64 million budget for Residence

Life.

Two new members were sworn in as regents before Friday's meeting. Thomas M. Meyer of Cape Girardeau was appointed to the board by Gov. Nixon and affirmed by the state legislature to serve a six-year term ending in 2018. Also joining is a new student representative, Kevin Magnan of Festus,

Mo.

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