PITTSBURG, Kan. —
Pittsburg State University is getting less in state funding this school year, but President Steve Scott hopes the campus can move forward with plans to build a $10 million fine-arts center.
Scott on Thursday said PSU will receive $34.5 million in state funding this fiscal year — the same amount it received five years ago. But there’s one big difference: There are 650 more students on campus than there were in fiscal 2006, “putting stress and strains on everyone in this room,” he said.
That’s an increase of about 10 percent in enrollment, relative to where PSU stood five years ago.
Scott spoke Thursday to about 450 faculty and staff members during his opening day address. Classes begin Monday at PSU.
The university last year faced a combined $5 million gap between revenues and expenditures after several rounds of state budget cuts.
Scott said the gap was closed by trimming $1.4 million from the budget, tapping $1.4 million in reserves, and raising tuition and fees by 5.6 percent in June. That will cost students an additional $120 per semester.
Scott didn’t go into what state shortfalls might mean for incoming freshmen, saying only time will tell what kind of budget outlook the university faces.
“Among our concerns are unemployment rates, state revenues and a political landscape that will be changing with the fall elections,” he said.
He did pepper his talk with some good news: PSU officials had projected cutting an additional $1.4 million from the budget this fiscal year, but Scott said those cuts were not necessary.
“We controlled our expenditures even better than we thought we could, our utility costs were lower than expected, our enrollment grew beyond our estimates, and the mix of enrollment produced additional revenue,” he said.
Priorities
Scott outlined for the faculty and staff three areas on which he will focus during the school year.
Today, university officials are expected to announce the selection of an architectural firm to begin work on a design for a fine-arts and performing-arts center. Preliminary plans call for construction at the corner Homer and Ford streets, on what is informally known as the band practice field.
“We owe it to our students, to each other and to this region that we build our capacity in the area of fine and performing arts,” Scott told the group. Toward that end, the university has a $10 million pledge, of which $6 million is in hand, he said.
“Over the coming months, the project architect will help us align our dreams with the reality of what we will actually have to spend,” he said. “You do that at home; we’re going to do that here.
“I think we all understand the economics of this region and this community, and the deficit our lack of a performing-arts facility creates on our campus. We need to act on this, and we are doing so.”
The second of Scott’s strategic goals is capitalizing on the Kansas Technology Center, and expanding on its programs and services.
His third focus will be elevating the university’s status within NCAA Division II athletics.
“I am serious about enhancing our competitiveness, and transferring the energy and excitement that comes from it into support for the overall university and our students,” he said.
Scott said 86 percent of donors who gave to athletics programs last year also made gifts in support of other parts of the campus, including academic programs, scholarships and construction projects.
“Energizing this group of stakeholders through athletic success has important implications for giving in all areas of the campus,” he said.
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