Southeast president addresses budget during state of university address

Editor's note: The story has been edited to clarify that the $6.1 million approved by the board of regents over the summer was a budget cut. The word cut was inadvertently omitted from the sentence. The Southeast Missourian regrets the error.

The 2017 State of the University address delivered Thursday by Southeast Missouri State University president Carlos Vargas-Aburto highlighted challenges and opportunities.

Vargas said he believes events such as the address are very important, both for communication of challenges the university is facing and to spread the word about institution achievements.

One of the major challenges he addressed was the university’s budget.

Toward the end of the address, Vargas acknowledged serious budgetary concerns.

Printed materials were not available to audience members at the address because, Vargas said, the materials would be available online, and he saw no reason to incur the printing cost.

The university is reviewing all operations, including staffing, operations and academic programs, Vargas said.

“We are in the input process now,” Vargas said, and invited anyone with suggestions or questions to email budgetforum@semo.edu.

This summer, the Southeast board of regents approved a budget cut of $6.1 million, but after that approval, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens passed a higher budget cut than expected. That, coupled with a staff medical insurance premium more than $200,000 higher than estimated, contributed to a budget need of $6.6 million and, Vargas said, $1.7 million needs to be identified in order to meet that budget need.

“We are trying to avoid impacting the instructional side,” Vargas said, adding the university has not lost any filled positions due to budget concerns.

However, the university has instituted a four-month hiring delay for open positions, he said.

“This is not a hiring freeze,” Vargas said. “All we’re doing in delaying by four months. We have never been in a freeze.”

A voluntary early-retirement program is also in place for faculty and staff, Vargas said.

“Southeast has been in this situation before in the last 10 to 12 years,” Vargas said. “We weathered it then. We can weather it now.

“I know it’s not easy, but this is very important,” he added.

In better news, Vargas said, the university’s freshmen-to-sophomore retention rate is at a record high, 75.1 percent, although overall enrollment is down by 4 percent over Fall 2016, he said.

Graduate studies and international studies saw the biggest enrollment decreases, Vargas said.

The retention rate goal is 80 percent, he said, and he implored attendees to be mindful of their effect on whether students stay or go.

“Every one of you is important,” Vargas said.

Vargas said he hopes to see Southeast strengthen its enrollment, not simply grow it.

“We continue to seek partnerships,” he said.

The Transfer Mentor Program began this semester, he said, and seeks to help students at partner community colleges ease the transition between a two-year institution and Southeast.

Southeast faculty advisers also are invited to participate in the Master Advisor program with the provost’s office, Vargas said, in an effort to improve the graduation rate.

The university also has reduced the number of hours required to graduate by trimming nine hours from the required core courses, Vargas said, which he hopes also will increase the graduation rate.

Right now, about 51 percent of students who start at Southeast will graduate within six years, Vargas said, and even though that’s in line with the national average, that’s a number he hopes to see increase.

Vargas said he believes the hard work of university students, faculty and staff will pay off in years to come.

“We really do have a lot to be proud of,” Vargas said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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