STUDIES URGED: SOUTHEAST PANEL PROPOSES 19 AREAS BE REVIEWED

Southeast Missouri State University's Budget Review Committee has called for further study of university operations in 19 specific areas.

The recommendation is included in the budget package submitted by the committee to University President Kala Stroup.

The committee has suggested the university:

Consider outside funding for alumni services.

Continue to review scholarship and fee waiver expenses.

Review campus vehicle needs and management.

Explore funding of mainframe computer improvements.

Consider requiring students to pay a computing fee.

Review testing services fees.

Look at establishing a writing exit examination fee.

Consider funding sports information services out of the intercollegiate athletic budget. Sports information currently operates on a budget of $73,000 and is not part of the university's athletic budget.

Look at additional methods of funding to help make the university's intercollegiate athletics more self-supporting.

Examine possible changes in funding for the campus newspaper, The Capaha Arrow.

Review funding of the London Studies Program.

Evaluate funding of the Faculty Recognition Program.

Review funding of the swine testing center.

Review the personnel funding for institutional research, graduate office, campus planning, news service, university studies office, and the provost's office.

Consider contracting with a local agency to provide substance abuse education.

Look at implementing differential parking decals and fees based on parking lot locations.

Consider reducing commencement costs by reducing the number of commencements held annually.

Explore reducing travel costs by contracting for travel services.

Re-evaluate the budget carryover policy. Currently, if a department doesn't use all of its funds in a given fiscal year, that money remains in its budget rather than being returned to the university's general budget.

"This is a continuing kind of list," explained Ken Dobbins, vice president for finance and administration. "We may add to it next year; we may subtract from it next year, too."

Dobbins said, "As you go through a budget, as we did with a very thorough review, you find there are areas that need more review than we can attend to in the budget process."

He said all of the areas proposed for further study focus on costs and associated benefits. "They're ones that may or may not generate additional revenues or reductions in expenses."

Dobbins said it's up to Stroup's discretion as to what items should be reviewed.

As to vehicle management, Dobbins said the operation and maintenance of campus vehicles now falls under the control of a number of different departments.

He said he believes there's a need to look at the whole issue of transportation management.

Dobbins said the budget committee had initially recommended the university cut funding for The Capaha Arrow and the swine testing center.

But the committee ultimately recommended further review of funding of the two operations, he said.

The swine testing center currently receives $4,000 from the university's operating budget.

The Capaha Arrow operates on a $64,000 budget, of which $36,000 comes from newspaper revenue. The other $28,000 ~comes from the university's budget, Dobbins said.

Budget committee members have suggested student activity fee revenue could be used to help fund the campus newspaper, as is done at a number of other universities, Dobbins said.

The university holds three commencement ceremonies annually at a total cost of about $44,000. Reducing the number of commencements would save some money, although there are some fixed costs such as diplomas, Dobbins pointed out.

As to the computing fee, he said, a number of Missouri universities require their students to pay a fee of $1 to $2 a credit hour to help fund computer needs. The money goes for computers for student use.