Chadron State seeking funds to strengthen college

Nebraska ended the 2003-04 fiscal year on June 30 with revenue of $108 million above projections. July’s revenue was $6 million higher than forecast, according to an official in the Legislative Fiscal Analyst office.

Dr. Tom Krepel, president of the college, said the college will seek an increase of approximately $1 million in state funding during each of the next two fiscal years to maintain its level of services, strengthen student retention and graduation rates, and help the college meet the changing needs of its students and the state.

In addition, the college will ask for just slightly more than $7 million for the renovation of the Administration Building and Sparks Hall The project has been designated as the No. 1 capital construction priority that the Board of Trustees will seek during the 2005-07 biennium. The renovation of the Administration Building would convert it into an entirely classroom facility while the work in Sparks Hall would make it into the college’s administrative headquarters.

The Administration Building is now about one-third administrative offices and two-thirds academic space while Sparks Hall is divided into apartments for faculty and students. Both buildings were constructed in the early years of the college but are still structurally sound.

During the past two years, some $1.2 million has been spent to update the heating, cooling and plumbing in the Administration Building.

More than half, or about $590,000, of Chadron State’s new operating budget requests for the 2005-06 fiscal year are to keep pace with inflation of general operating expenses. Included are funding for anticipated increases in health insurance, property insurance, utilities and building maintenance.

Chadron State’s requests have been approved by the Board of Trustees and have been submitted to the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. They must be submitted to the Governor’s Office by Sept. 15.

Chadron State also is seeking funding during the 2005 Legislative session for several new and expanded programs that are designed to strengthen its academic offerings and services. Those requests are:

--$100,000 each of the next two fiscal years to create an Intercultural Center to help attract and retain minority students, faculty and staff. The center also would help coordinate study abroad opportunities and other diversity-related programming and services. In addition, the request includes the employment an American Indian counselor

-- $100,000 in 2005-06 to create a Student Advising and Career Awareness Center with emphasis on assisting first-year students whose retention in college may be at risk.

--$117,000 to help bring Chadron State closer to compliance with gender equity requirements. The proposal would relieve the athletic director from coaching duties and add a women’s sport, either soccer or softball.

--$200,000 to enhance CSC’s distance learning capabilities by increasing the number of sites, adding personnel support and updating equipment.

--$70,000 to purchase facilities management software and hiring of personnel to maintain and operate the system.

--$50,000 to hire an additional temperature control technician and a custodian who would be assigned one-half time to Memorial Hall and one-half time to the Armstrong Gymnasium to allow for coverage during and after special events.

--$53,250 for analysis of computer support for hardware and software in areas of student information, admissions, library automation, facility management and energy management. Peru State and Wayne State are submitting similar requests to ensure that the colleges are properly addressing future technology needs.

Chadron State President Krepel said each of the proposals is important to the future of the institution after four years of reductions had to be made because of budget constraints.

“It is a relief to be entering a time when it appears we can do some rebuilding to provide programs and services needed by our students and our service region,” Krepel said.

The president added that he’s appreciative of steps taken by members of the Legislature to minimize the cuts in higher education, for the cooperation of the Chadron State students in shouldering more of the load by paying substantially more tuition and for the increased giving by alumni and friends of the college so more scholarships support was available.