Jamie Jones
Dalton Daily Citizen
DALTON — If Dalton State College declares a financial state of emergency due to extreme state budget cuts, at least 10 tenured faculty positions will be cut along with the closing of several academic programs including social work, marketing, management and technology.
Other cost-cutting realities officials are considering are delaying for one year the opening of the college’s campus at the Whitfield Career Academy, requiring four more employee furlough days through May (from six to 10), making workers switch to the highest deductible health insurance plan and capping DSC’s enrollment at 5,800.
College president John Schwenn addressed a crowd of more than 125 faculty, staff and community members Friday morning about plans to cut an extra $2.4 million from DSC’s 2011 fiscal year budget — news he was given Thursday morning by University System chancellor Erroll Davis. For fiscal year 2010, which ends June 30, the college’s education general budget is about $24 million. DSC has about 350 full-time and 150 part-time employees.
Schwenn stressed the moves have not been finalized and any cuts must be approved by the Board of Regents. Many of the proposed reductions will have to be made, but Schwenn said cutting jobs and shuttering programs are part of the “worst case scenario.”
By noon today, Schwenn and other college presidents must submit to the Board of Regents their proposed cuts. The Board of Regents will review the proposals over the weekend, then release their recommendations to the state Legislature on Monday, when they will become public record.
“There’s nothing that can’t hurt,” said Schwenn, who marks two years as DSC president on Monday. “Every single thing is going to hurt.”
Original cuts recommended by Gov. Sonny Perdue and the additional reductions announced Thursday total $385 million for the entire University System of Georgia.
DSC’s share is now $4.2 million. Schwenn said state funding has been reduced from $15.4 million in fiscal year 2009 to $14.3 million in fiscal year 2010.
Spencer Zeiger is the dean of the school of social work, one of the departments possibly on the chopping block. In fall 2009, social work had 136 declared students and six faculty members. In spring 2009, 18 students graduated with a social work degree.
Zeiger said he is “deeply concerned” about the area losing the program. He said DSC’s school of social work is the only bilingual, bicultural program of its kind in the country. And with some estimates placing the number of Hispanics up to 40 percent of Whitfield County’s population, he worries how children will receive the services they need.
“We have fired up, dedicated students who are dedicated to changing the fabric of our community, quite literally,” said Zeiger, who is also a social work professor. “Our students are on the front line. If our program is cut, you are going to see a huge ripple effect.”
Zeiger was also concerned he had not heard about the possible closure of the department until the Friday morning meeting. Schwenn apologized, saying he had been notified of the additional proposed budget cuts just 24 hours prior to the meeting.
One faculty member asked whether money from the private DSC Foundation could be used for operations. John Hutcheson, DSC’s vice president of academic affairs, said the college is “leery” to use those funds, while Schwenn said the foundation only has so much money available for use. Plus, the battered economy has affected giving. The foundation had $24.26 million in net assets as of March 31, 2009.
College officials urged faculty, staff and other community members to lobby legislators — and talk to anyone else who will listen — in hopes of having funding restored for higher education. Hutcheson said the hope is there will be a “public outcry.”
“We’re in new territory now,” Hutcheson said.
If the college caps enrollment at 5,800, students would be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, said Jodi Johnson, vice president for enrollment and student services. As of fall 2009, the college had 5,722 students.
Schwenn worries how the budget cuts will affect the quality of education in northwest Georgia and beyond.
“Our students are losing,” he said.
Several students contacted after the meeting said they were unaware of the proposed cuts. Some said they hoped the college does not hike tuition, saying a system-wide fee increase is already taxing them. Students are paying an extra $50 fee this semester to help cover previous funding cuts to the college.
College officials have already made reductions totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Last year, DSC closed its continuing education department that was housed in the James E. Brown Center, saving about $100,000 a year. DSC also shuttered its Catoosa County campus in 2009, which saved $75,000. The college is also expected to save $200,000 by furloughing employees for six days from September 2009 through May.
The college also eliminated most travel except to University System of Georgia-sponsored events and required accreditation meetings, increased class sizes where room capacity allowed and canceled the 2009 fall employee dinner sponsored by the DSC Foundation.
