Universities face continued budget cuts

State tightens financial belt at students’ expense

WANTNEEDO by Kalan Lyra.

The economic woes of today’s society have not bounced back from the Great Recession that began in December 2007 and officially ended June 2009.

An institution of higher education, such as UHCL, has no shield to protect against the dreaded state-mandated budget cuts. The proposed budget cut list can be found on the UHCL website and suggests that cuts be made from the 2010-11 General Revenue and General Revenue-Dedicated funds.

This is not the first state budget cut that UHCL has faced. In 2003 and 2004, it reared its ugly head. This fiscal year, which began Sept.1, saw a 5 percent budget cut with the possibility of an additional 5 to 15 percent next year.

Since budget cuts affected each department at the university, it stands to reason that students will somehow also be affected.

The funds have to come from somewhere, if not the state, or private donations. Therefore, these cuts leave students scrambling to find more money to pay for their tuition, student services, lab fees and parking permits.

The budget cuts must have affected the operating hours of the UHCL police department’s business office because it has changed its operating hours to 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. That should shed a few staff-hour bucks for the budget cuts.

With an increase in student enrollment but no new parking spaces, a new intramural sport has developed on campus: PSS (parking space stalking). Are we all enjoying the $10 hike for parking permits?

Budget cuts trickle down to the students when enrollment is up but fewer courses are offered in order to fill classrooms, or the hiring of faculty is frozen.

UHCL prides itself on being creative with the handling of funds by not putting all the funds in one area, but spreading it around and choosing the project that is most in need.

It is great and even appreciated that the university is capable of handling the finances; however, money does not grow on trees and the bills have to get paid.

State legislatures should understand the investment of the future is through educated taxpayers.

The students of today will become the teachers, engineers, doctors, lawyers, state representatives, etc. of tomorrow, but only if they can get through school without having a debt as large as the state of Texas.