Tuesday, February 24, 2009

REVENUE GENERATING STRATEGIES

Dr. Meadows also revealed several revenue generating strategies the College is considering:

• Tuition increase (up to 8%)

• Enrollment growth
- the state average growth rate is 6.9% ; PJC's is 3%
- a 5% increase in enrollment would bring in $600,000 beyond tuition dollars

• Marketing and advertising
- using active media - Facebook, MySpace, etc.

• New programs
- more "quick turn-around" (6,8,12 week) programs
- Bachelor of Science degree
- Veterinary technician program
- Esthetician

• More aggressive pursuit of grants

• Increased auxiliary services, i.e. food services

What ideas do you have that would generate revenue for the College?

Dr. Meadows Reveals Cost-Cutting Plans

At the opening session of All College Day, Dr. Meadows revealed his plans for meeting the demands of the budget for the 2009-2010 academic year. Is it enough? What else can/could/should be done?

Here are the current plans for addressing the budget shortfall:

• Continuing and improving an energy savings plan.

• Reducing travel and materials expenditures from the operating budget.

• Replacing some print products with digital formats, including class schedules and course catalogs.

• Reduce funding for ceremonies - having a single commencement ceremony per school year.

• Increasing average class size by eliminating special and elective courses not required for major or transfer

• Program viability evaluations to eliminate low enrollment.

• Continue reorganization and downsizing of College administration.

• Retirement Incentive: $500,000 has been set aside from nonrecurring funds to fund this.


Also under consideration:

• Imposing a hiring freeze in all areas including faculty.

• College closure days - employee furloughs.

• Individual employee furloughs with days spaced throughout the year.

• Reduction in Force for administrative/professional/career service employees

• Retrenchment for faculty

• Across the board salary cuts.

Community colleges: State gets big return on investment

Kingsley Guy | COLUMNIST
February 22, 2009


Difficult economic times force people to use better judgment in deploying available resources. That's no less true for lawmakers than it is for private individuals and businesses.

"What's the cost versus the benefit of funding a program? How can dollars be leveraged to achieve a solid return on investment? What are the hidden costs of not spending money?"

These are questions members of the Florida Legislature need to ask during the next two months as they allocate a shrinking number of tax dollars to government departments and agencies.

Of all the organizations the Legislature funds, none are more important in helping the state get out of its economic troubles than Florida's 28 community colleges. Unfortunately, they're often viewed by legislators as the stepchildren of the public educational system. For the last two years, they've been brutalized by budget cuts, and they're on the chopping block again.

The cuts come at a time of rising demand for community college services. With the unemployment ranks increasing, thousands of people are looking to them for job re-training so they can get back to work. Others view community colleges as an affordable alternative to state universities and private colleges. Enrollment is up as much as 10 percent at some community colleges, but tax support is diminishing.

The positive return on investment in the colleges, however, is irrefutable.

In 2006, Florida TaxWatch took a thorough look at community colleges.

Among other things, TaxWatch found: A community college graduate with an Associate in Science degree will make $480,000 more on average during his or her lifetime than a person with only a high school diploma; every dollar in public funding spent at a community college results in more than $13 in increased state output; the public investment in community colleges is repaid in less than six years by revenue coming back to the state due to the increased worker output.

It's possible for the colleges' foundations to leverage public dollars to increase money available for scholarships, construction and job-training efforts. For years, the Dr. Philip Benjamin Matching Grant Program provided up to a dollar-for-dollar match for private contributions.

Nancy Botero, executive director of the Broward College Foundation, found the matching grant program to be an important tool in convincing people to donate. "It's a huge incentive," she said. "People really like to know that their gifts are being leveraged so they will make an even bigger impact."

When a state program can turn one dollar into as much as two for something as vital as education, you'd think the Legislature would jump at the opportunity to support it. Unfortunately, the Legislature suspended the matching grant program last year and has balked at funding it this year.

This motivated Botero to lead an effort among her colleagues to convince the Legislature to change its mind. She's received nearly unanimous support among community college foundation boards in petitioning the Legislature to reinstate the matching grants. The colleges' Council of Presidents also want to see this happen, and they deserve the backing of lawmakers and the governor.

"We're in the investment business," Botero said. "We're asking people to make an investment in human beings."

That's an investment that will result in the development of productive and motivated Floridians who, in the long run, will fill state coffers with tax dollars rather than drain them.

Commentary by retired Editorial Page Editor Kingsley Guy appears on alternate Sundays. Readers may e-mail him at harborlite3@bellsouth.net.

This article originally appeared in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 22, 2009.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

JOIN US FOR LUNCH AT ALL COLLEGE DAY

Faculty Rights in Disciplinary Actions and Grievances

When bad things happen to good people, what are your rights under the collective bargaining agreement? This workshop will review faculty rights under Article 10“Grievance Procedure” and Article 17.03 “Disciplinary Action”. It will also address faculty rights and responsibilities during student grievances. Procedural aspects as well as timelines will be covered.

Faculty members are encouraged to bring their personal copy of the CBA to the session.

Important Note: “This Workshop is for Full-Time Faculty Only”
Credit: LOI

Presenter(s): Tom Waslavek – UFF, Joyce Kaplan, Professor, Biology and Blaine Wall, Assistant Professor, English

Place: Room 534 - Culinary Dining Room

Listen to Charlotte's Presentation to the BOT on 2-17-09

Click here to listen to Charlotte's presentation to the Board of Trustees on February 17, 2009.


Click here to hear Julie Ruengart's presentation to the Board of Trustees on February 17, 2009.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Retrenchment Timeline Adjusted

Sent to Charlotte from Keith Samuels, PJC/BOT chief negotiator on 2/12/09:


Charlotte,

Because Dr. Gonzalez is out of town, I have been asked to inform you that, in order to gather as much information as possible about legislative work on budgets, Dr. Meadows will not take any actions regarding the retrenchment plan earlier than mid-April. He understands that some of your members are concerned about addressing the Board before it is asked to act on any recommendations that may be submitted on this matter. The extension of the planning time line should help. The President wants to explore all possibilities and options as he makes difficult choices.

Please let me know if you have any questions about this communication.

Keith

Need help with numbers, please!?

On the post relating to the board's allocation of 1.75 million dollars for computer hardware and software, one of you posted a bunch of faculty and PJC personnel salary figures. Before we can use them in a legit fashion, we need to know where they come from. We've referenced and found some numbers in the Florida CC Factbook but can't determine how Total Faculty Salaries were calculated. Please advise as to your source and process of getting the numbers. Thanks.

Monday, February 9, 2009

COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERS IN CAPITAL CITY TO LOBBY LAWMAKERS

By KATHLEEN HAUGHNEY THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE,
Feb. 3, 2009

Community college leaders are trying to maintain open enrollment at colleges across the state for a relatively low cost, but state budget cuts may hinder their ability to do so.

Community colleges have largely been overshadowed by public universities, which are lobbying hard for higher education dollars. State university system officials have already hinted at layoffs, academic program cuts and fewer student support services. But state universities can cap enrollment figures, something community colleges strive not to do. The state college system advocates an open door policy so that any student can get an education. And at community colleges, enrollment continues to rise and state dollars are likely to drop.

“I think it's important that we continue to serve the community, that our doors say open,” said Eileen Holden, president of Polk Community College.

In the 2007-2008 academic year, enrollment stood at 804,262. For the current school year, it is estimated at 859,544, a 6.9 percent increase. In last year's budget, it received $1,144,348,178. This year, $1,094,748,686.

The colleges have deferred maintenance projects, cut back on travel and halted orders on new technology equipment. Instead of hiring full time faculty to replace ones that have left, they are hiring adjunct professors. That means fewer and bigger classes. College presidents say there are no other options if they want to continue to have an open-door policy.

“The primary issue is access,” said Edwin Massey, president of Indian River College. “We're trying to keep classes open and we're trying to keep our community colleges there for the student.”

Massey and Holden were both in Tallahassee as part of a massive lobbying effort on behalf of the state college system. At a meeting hosted by the Florida Association of Community Colleges, presidents, trustees and government relations officers heard an outline of the state's precarious fiscal situation in preparation for their meetings with lawmakers Wednesday. They are trying to persuade lawmakers not to cut their budgets again this year, even though state economists are projecting the state will have almost $4 billion less to dole out to state-funded programs.

Holden said her best-case scenario with the state budget would mean the college could keep its doors open to everyone at a low cost. Worst-case means more cuts and higher costs.

“We may be forced to look at a tuition increase and students may have to limit the number of classes they take,” Holden said.

For Massey, who is also chair of the council of presidents, layoffs are his worst-case scenario for the entire system.

If people lose jobs we're going to lose our ability to provide the capacity to provide the workforce that's going to move us forward in the future,” Massey said. “It's bad for the people it's bad for the companies, it's bad for the economy, it's bad for the community.”

ORLANDO RALLY


Bill Vincent with Escambia FEA (Florida Education Association) is making travel arrangements for the February 28 rally in Orlando. FEA will fund the cost of a chartered bus to Orlando that would leave Friday afternoon(02/27), drive to Lake City and pull over for the night.


Working with FEA, Mr. Vincent has arranged for hotel rooms that night at $30 per person with up to 4 persons per room.


The bus would continue to Orlando the next morning, participants would attend the rally and drive back to Pensacola, arriving home around 8 pm.


This a great opportunity for all locals and chapters to attend the rally to show solidarity. If we are going to change the conversation inTallahassee, we have to get the politicians' attention.

If you are interested, please contact Mr. Vincent at 476-2906. To learn more about the rally, www.MakeOurSchoolsaPriority.org

Thursday, February 5, 2009

BOT Designates $1.75 million of Fund Balance Reserve

At the January Board of Trustees’ Meeting, the Board approved designating a portion of money to extend the computer license and update the software and hardware that is used for administrative programs. At the time, Vice President of Business Affairs, Gean Ann Emond, stated that the college would fall apart without this program. A total cost was never mentioned, so PJCFA requested that information from Dr. Gonzalez’s office. We recently received the following response:

“At the January 20, 2009 meeting the District Board of Trustees designated $1,750,000 to be used for the Administrative Computing Hardware and Software purchase that will be required in December 2009. The existing prepaid software and maintenance agreements we have with Unisys will expire and the college will have to pay for maintenance and support for the existing system, if possible, or purchase new equipment and software from Unisys.”

There are a few interesting points to consider. First, $1.75 million is not a small amount. Administration has argued in the past that money in the reserve fund cannot be used to fund pay increases because the money isn’t recurring. Even if this is true, could this money have been used as a stopgap to help prevent faculty layoffs? After all, the most recent budget cut totaled $1.4 million. Second, notice that the current agreement expires in December 2009. It’s ironic that the Administration isn’t willing to plan ahead when it comes to faculty positions, pay, etc., but it is willing to designate funds for computer software/hardware eleven months in advance.

If you haven’t already written the BOT, do so! Urge them to spend the College’s money wisely and to put learning first.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Rumor Control: The Gonzalez Incident

As some people have expressed concern over our asking Dr. Gonzalez to leave the PJCFA general meeting on Thursday, January 29, we wanted you to understand the whole situation.

Below is the text of the letter which I sent to Dr. Gonzalez on the evening of January 29 and his response. In addition, Tom Wazlavek, our UFF liaison, followed Dr. Gonzalez from the room and spoke to him, explaining why Dr. Gonzalez could not be in the room. As you can see, Dr. Gonzalez was not upset or angered. In fact, he completely understood our position AND our concerns.

Dr. Gonzalez,

I wanted to assure you that there was no personal animosity involved in our asking you not to attend the meeting this afternoon. Since we were discussing the administration's initiation of retrenchment and the progress of both impasse and the outstanding grievances, it would not have been appropriate for a representative of the administration to be present.

In addition, as I hope the senior administrators are aware, many faculty members are almost literally terrified about losing their jobs. Because of the secrecy surrounding the process, they fear that speaking out could cause them to lose points on the retrenchment worksheets or to be considered as troublemakers and targeted for a pink slip. Having you in the room would only have increased their anxiety.

We do appreciate all that you have done for PJC over the years and the superhuman job you have assumed this year. After you left, I mentioned that you had turned down the raise accompanying your promotion----the room erupted in universal, spontaneous applause. Your sacrifice and your dedication are well-known.

Should you wish to present the administration's position on retrenchment to the faculty and field questions at another time, we would be happy to set up that meeting. The faculty have questions and concerns which can only be addressed by you or Dr. Meadows. The lack of information is a major factor in the faculty's fear and the plunging morale at PJC.

Thank you for your concern over PJC's future.


Dr. Gonzalez's response follows:

Paige,

I did not take what occurred today as personal. My visit was only a goodwill visit to assure the PJC Faculty that we are all in this situation together and maybe answer any questions that would not put me in a position of being accused of bargaining away from the table. I want to assure you and the other members of the faculty that I am also terrified of what this economic Tsunami that seems to be sweeping over Florida and much of the nation might do to higher education. I do not sleep well at night, and I have not been much fun to be around at home as I worry about what could happen to our College.

I can assure you that the administration is not going to retaliate against faculty for asking questions. If we can not take the difficult questions and answer them honestly and professionally we do not deserve to be administrators. Trust to critical to what we do, and I can assure you we want your trust. We often have to make difficult decisions for the betterment of the College, but we need to be prepared defend our decisions to all who question our actions. I am a long way from being perfect, but I know that people are watching what I do.

I will share your concerns with Dr. Meadows. I can assure you that we both have the same fear about the future and want to do everything possible to retain all of our faculty. I am sure that both Dr. Meadows and I would be pleased to address issues that are not reserved to the bargaining table if asked.

Martin


If you have any questions over the situation, please feel free to ask me!

Paige N. Anderson
Chief Negotiator, PJCFA

Monday, February 2, 2009

DO ANY OF YOUR STUDENTS SIT IN A $100,000 CLASS ROOM?

PJCFA submitted several requests for information to the administration. As these requests are answered, PJCFA will be posting the findings to the blog. The first is the cost of refurbishing the BOT Board Room.

When the BOT met in November, everyone noted the newly renovated room - new wallpaper, drapes, mini-blinds, microphones, monitors, projector, and more. Then Dr. Meadows announced that new chairs would be delivered prior to the next BOT meeting. So how much did all this cost and where did the money come from?

From Local Funds (Fund 1) which was transferred to the Unexpended Plant Fund in FY 2007/2008 to provide funds for capital purchases (May 2008 Board meeting):

$69,120.53:
$481.63 to modify cabinet for dishwasher
$32,769.35 for control system
$448.20 for dishwasher
$3,194.80 for drapes and mini-blinds
$31,378.64 for chairs
$126.18 for hot water heater
$512.20 for ceiling tiles
$105.00 for sidewall grills
$104.53 for microwave

From PECO funds which are for renovation and remodeling of college facilities:
$29,585.79
$5,750.00 for professional services for Simpson Design
$1,750.00 for operable wall maintenance
$6,330.00 to remove and replace wallcoverings
$4,950.76 for carpet
$1,564.00 for ceiling tiles
$1,590.63 for data voice drops
$5,250.00 to disassemble and reassemble doors, new cover
$801.31 for Capril material
$1,599.09 for electrical materials

Total expended & outstanding $98,706.32

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM CHARLOTTE

Many of you are aware that the past two months have been difficult for me personally. I have had to make three extended trips to Arkansas because of my father's health and, on January 25th, my father-in-law passed away in Virginia. During all of this I have been blessed by your kind words and prayers. Thank you.

During my absence I have also been blessed to leave in charge a hard-working Executive Board and negotiating team. Each one has done what he or she could during this time, but I would like to especially thank Blaine Wall for handling the day-to-day operations of PJCFA, Paige Anderson for her leadership and willingness to speak with the media, and Cindy App for taking my proxy to the UFF Council of Presidents and Senate meeting in Orlando this past weekend. Thank you to all faculty who attended the faculty meeting and have volunteered to help as we face these difficult times. Some BOT members have already commented that they are receiving your letters.

I am catching up on phone calls and email. Please don't hesitate to contact me with your concerns and suggestions. Be sure that I'll be calling on you,

Charlotte