WKU Outlines Budget Priorities, Tuition

April 17, 2008

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University is facing a triple threat of pressures as the University develops a budget for 2008-09.
           
WKU faces unavoidable cost increases, a reduction in state appropriations and a list of strategic initiatives necessary to fulfill its mission of academic quality and enhancing the regional and state economy, President Gary Ransdell said today during a pair of budget forums.
           
Dr. Ransdell and key administrators met with faculty, staff and students to outline tuition requirements, spending priorities, the budget process, and faculty/staff salaries.
           
“The objectives in this tuition and budgeting process are to help build Kentucky’s economic strength and sustain progress at WKU,” Dr. Ransdell said. “Our intent is to insure academic quality and increase access and degree productivity among students. It is a difficult budget, but our commitment is to spend every penny of revenue generated from a tuition increase on fixed cost increases and strategic priorities, and not spend a single penny of revenue from a tuition increase to offset a budget cut. We will deal with reduced and eliminated programs in a separate, unrelated process after we budget tuition revenue income to positive things.”
           
Dr. Ransdell said WKU is dealing with multiple issues during the budget process. A 6 percent reduction in state appropriations for 2008-09, about $5 million, must be achieved now that the state budget is final. Those cuts, coupled with unavoidable cost increases, such as utilities, increases in minimum wage and retirement contributions, means that available funds will have to be strategically reallocated, he said.
           
In addition, there is a list of strategic initiatives that would be largely funded through a 9 percent tuition increase. Those initiatives include a new and increased commitment to scholarships, libraries, programs for the Owensboro and Elizabethtown extended campuses, a new doctorate in educational leadership, the Honors College, Study Abroad and internationalization, and crisis communication/safety initiatives.
           
The only margin available for faculty and staff compensation is a commitment to address faculty salary compression and a $500 per employee raise, which favors employees at the lower end of the salary scale, he said.
Tuition
           
A 9 percent increase in tuition will generate an additional $8.6 million and brings resident undergraduate tuition to $3,492 per semester, up from $3,208 in FY 2008.  Nonresident tuition will rise from $7,735 to $8,364 per semester. WKU’s strategic plan called for a 6 percent tuition increase in 2008-09 with a corresponding increase in state appropriations to fund the strategic initiatives.
           
The University’s Board of Regents will vote on tuition on April 24. It must also be approved by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

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