Classes are underway in the Spring Semester at Murray State University. On Sounds Good, Matt Markgraf speaks with President Bob Davies about enrollment and budget planning for the next academic year, what MSU is watching in the legislature, the role of arts education in a STEM+H-focused academic environment, building and maintenance projects and the CPE work group on tuition rate guidance and more.
Budget Planning, Etc.
Davies said a big part of spring semester work at an administrative level is preparing for the next academic year and fall semester. He said Murray State has a goal of attaining 1,600 new freshmen (an increase of about 100 from the current academic year). He said he'd also like to reach 700 transfer students. Enrollment being one factor, retention is another and Murray State is looking to achieve a rate of 74 to 76%. All the while, Davies stressed keeping enrollment standards high in seeking college ready and capable students. He added that 11,500 to 12,000 is the "sweet spot" for the culture of MSU.
The university is also looking at SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) and opportunities for online programs, ways to increase student population and transfer student opportunities. He said another effort involves offering 'academic boot camps' where someone who may already have a degree can gain further education or certification. He said the Bauernfind College of Business has put forth a proposal to expand MSU's reach in the Paducah market by taking advantage of the Foreign Trade Zone designation.
Budget discussions are also underway. He said the university is looking closely at the budget but added that it's too soon to determine whether or not there will be more job loss. He said budget reduction will be looked at, but also revenue opportunities, ways to be entrepreneurial and seeking ways to expand resources and other venues. "No stone will be unturned," he said.
Fine Arts Role in STEM+H Environment
Murray State University recently announced Theatre chair David Balthrop as the new Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts (pending Board approval). Davies said in a landscape that seems to be favoring STEM+H education, it's necessary to have individuals who can think logically and critically and understand the role of the arts and creativity that the arts bring.
He said new ideas and creativity are necessary in advancing forward, i.e. the ability to communicate and understand individuals from different backgrounds.
He said STEM+H programs exist in a capacity throughout all of the university's colleges and likewise with fine arts, underscoring 'the human side' of learning.
Building and Maintenance Projects
The Breathitt Veterinary Center in Hopkinsville will likely have faculty and staff move in some time in February or March. Davies said an outside firm is inspecting the building.
The second floor of the Hopkinsville Community College is finished and he expects an open house soon.
Work continues on the Engineering and Physics building. There have been some issues along the way involving the electrical grid, weather and design changes. Though it's behind schedule, the building is expected to house classes in the fall. A ceremony to dedicate the building is planned for later in the spring semester.
Remediation in Springer Residential College is ongoing with plans to be back online in the fall. It's an old building, Davies said, but the university needs to keep it for now. A priority in the near future involves renovations at Regents and White. In the long term (7 to 12 years) Springer will be razed. Work is underway to determine what student enrollment needs will be.
The university is also working on resolving a steam issue on campus. Davies said the issue is indicative of deferred maintenance issues. The steam and cooling system was designed 50 years ago and the boilers have a lifespan of 25 to 30 years. He said pipes that cracked led to the issue now on campus. Plans are in place to take Waterfield off of the central steam line and have their own boiler system. The first boiler was delivered and they are waiting on the second one so both can be installed at once. He said the steam issue should be resolved by late February.
Murray State is looking at pursuing a capital request in the 2018 legislative session of $14 million dollars for electrical grid upgrade and $8 million for steam infrastructure. Davies said before the winter break members of Governor Matt Bevin's administration toured the campus and while they saw many of the good things, they also saw the challenges facing the university.
Senate Bill 107
Davies said Senate Bill 107 outlines a direct process on the appointment of board members in defining the constituent representations that need to be there. He said while he still has some questions about some of the definitions, but said it sets a clear parameter for new board members being appointed that meet those criteria, more checks and balances. He said also written into the bill is how the state would handle a 'dysfunctional board.'
He said, "I think when you read those elements I think you could say 'yeah that does make sense.' I think there's some word tweakage, some wording that needs to be probably worked on." He said for example, 'if the board can never reach consensus' - many boards don't operate by consensus, he said, they operate by vote, so it puts into question boards that continually have 7-5 or 6-4 votes if they are reaching consensus.
"I think what happened, thankfully, at UofL over the past several years does not happen frequently. You can have boards that disagree, you can have boards that do not get along, you can have boards that get very very tense.... And so what I don't want to lose in this language is for boards to be able to disagree, to be able to debate, to be able to understand their fiduciary responsibility is moving the university forward and making sure there's a sound fiscal plan, to make sure that there's a good strategic plan, that the university is fulfilling its responsibilities not only to our region but also to the commonwealth as a whole and meeting the goals and objectives that we put forward. Within that, I think the board members should question, should debate, should have that healthiness where they can take on tough issues and once that issue is dealt with, be-it a 6-5 vote, they go onto the very next issue and they go back arm-in-arm supporting the institution."
SACS put U of L’s accreditation on probation last month, citing Gov. Bevin's attempt to unilaterally reorganize the board and negotiate former university president Ramsey’s resignation. The state legislature has since passed a bill to reorganize the board once again, which was appointed last week.
CPE Tuition Work Group
A Council on Postsecondary Education work group is setting guidelines and boundaries for tuition setting. Davies said the way tuition is currently set is that the university will make a proposal of what tuition needs to be for the following year - seeking student input, finances, student market, elasticity, opportunities, etc. Officials will then take that to the Board of Regents. If approved, that proposal will go to the CPE.
He said the work group is essentially setting the boundaries on what they will automatically reject. Davies said 15 or 20 years ago most of the universities had a similar tuition base. Around that time, several universities decided to continuously raise tuition, which has caused the gap between the universities to grow (ie: a 4% increase at Western Kentucky University will be much larger than a 4% at Murray State in terms of dollars). Last year, CPE began discussions centered around closing this gap.
Murray State making the case for flexibility but wouldn't support the suggestion of a common tuition. With performance funding going into effect July 1, Davies said he supports 'flexibility' in closing the gap with public funds per student being equal with regards to tuition dollars and state appropriation.
