Northern heads brace for budget cuts
Zach White
The Montana Legislature’s proposed budget cuts were the talk of town last week at the Board of Regents meeting in Helena.
Officials from Montana State University-Northern, including Provost Rosalyn Templeton, Chancellor Frank Trocki and leaders of the Northern Student Senate met with regents to discuss changes to programs, particularly in light of the state’s House Appropriations Committee’s cuts to the proposed budget.
The new budget would reduce statewide higher education funding by more than $30 million, with $400,000 coming out of Northern’s diesel program alone.
Trocki said Monday that a cut like that is difficult for any program.
“If you take $400,000 out of anyone’s budget, it’s going to hurt, ” Trocki said. “On the other hand, there’s no other agency in the state that certifies biodiesel. If they take away that money, it’s going to hurt that certification. ”
Aside from meeting with regents, the chancellor met with Hi-Line legislators including Sen. Rowlie Hutton, R-Havre, and Rep. Kris Hansen, R-Havre. Trocki has faith they can help save the program’s funding.
“I think all of our Hi-Line people are in support of bringing that back as an amendment, ” Trocki said.
The legislators could try to replace some of that funding in the budget in both the House and the Senate.
Paul Tokarski, the Northern Student Senate vice president, was at the regents meeting and has similar concerns about budget cuts.
Tokarski said he is concerned about effects of the cuts on all of Montana’s college students.
“Right now, with the current proposed budget, we’re looking at $32.5 million in cuts and a tuition hike, ” Tokarski said. “It’s either on the students’ shoulders or they find some other way to fund it.
“Why do we have to take on this $32 million cut as 40,000 or so students? ”
Tokarski said there’s not much to do but wait now, as the Legislature looks at funding in House bills 2 and 3, and an appropriations House Bill 439, which could help fund some deferred maintenance projects at Northern and through the Montana University System.
For Trocki and Templeton, the cuts are frustrating.
As they, and the regents, see it, Northern has used its funding well. Trocki said that Northern is one of the most efficient schools in the state, considering dollars spent per full-time equivalent student enrollment numbers.
And Northern was commended at the regents meeting for having the state’s largest growth in retaining students in their two-year associate programs with 8.8 percent, more than twice the statewide rate of 3.9 percent.
Trocki remains confident that the economic value of higher education will win the day.
“I think the legislators realize that investment in higher education is investment in the economy, ” Trocki said.
“We generate revenue. ”
The Montana Legislature’s proposed budget cuts were the talk of town last week at the Board of Regents meeting in Helena.
Officials from Montana State University-Northern, including Provost Rosalyn Templeton, Chancellor Frank Trocki and leaders of the Northern Student Senate met with regents to discuss changes to programs, particularly in light of the state’s House Appropriations Committee’s cuts to the proposed budget.
The new budget would reduce statewide higher education funding by more than $30 million, with $400,000 coming out of Northern’s diesel program alone.
Trocki said Monday that a cut like that is difficult for any program.
“If you take $400,000 out of anyone’s budget, it’s going to hurt, ” Trocki said. “On the other hand, there’s no other agency in the state that certifies biodiesel. If they take away that money, it’s going to hurt that certification. ”
Aside from meeting with regents, the chancellor met with Hi-Line legislators including Sen. Rowlie Hutton, R-Havre, and Rep. Kris Hansen, R-Havre. Trocki has faith they can help save the program’s funding.
“I think all of our Hi-Line people are in support of bringing that back as an amendment, ” Trocki said.
The legislators could try to replace some of that funding in the budget in both the House and the Senate.
Paul Tokarski, the Northern Student Senate vice president, was at the regents meeting and has similar concerns about budget cuts.
Tokarski said he is concerned about effects of the cuts on all of Montana’s college students.
“Right now, with the current proposed budget, we’re looking at $32.5 million in cuts and a tuition hike, ” Tokarski said. “It’s either on the students’ shoulders or they find some other way to fund it.
“Why do we have to take on this $32 million cut as 40,000 or so students? ”
Tokarski said there’s not much to do but wait now, as the Legislature looks at funding in House bills 2 and 3, and an appropriations House Bill 439, which could help fund some deferred maintenance projects at Northern and through the Montana University System.
For Trocki and Templeton, the cuts are frustrating.
As they, and the regents, see it, Northern has used its funding well. Trocki said that Northern is one of the most efficient schools in the state, considering dollars spent per full-time equivalent student enrollment numbers.
And Northern was commended at the regents meeting for having the state’s largest growth in retaining students in their two-year associate programs with 8.8 percent, more than twice the statewide rate of 3.9 percent.
Trocki remains confident that the economic value of higher education will win the day.
“I think the legislators realize that investment in higher education is investment in the economy, ” Trocki said.
“We generate revenue. ”
