Student Services

INTRODUCTION

The Great Recession has had a detrimental effect on community colleges across the United States. Birchwood Hills is an example of one such college.

Birchwood Hills Community College is located in a working class, first-ring suburb of a large Midwestern city. The student population is approximately 20,000, with about 15,000 full time equivalent students (FTEs).

As a result of the recession, Birchwood Hills is in its third consecutive year of budget reductions. The budget was cut 10 percent during the first year of cuts, and eight percent during the second year; it will be cut another five percent the third year. The college is wrestling with options on where to make the cuts. Options include dropping low-enrollment programs, cutting student services, or shrinking the mission of the college by dropping all community service programs. In addition, a staff layoff is imminent.

As you can imagine, things are tense at Birchwood Hills. Stakeholders have differing opinions about how the college should respond to the budget crisis. Let's visit Birchwood Hills to hear what various individuals have to say.

EUGENE MONROE

College President

No one here at Birchwood Hills is more concerned about the budget cuts than me. Over the last 20 years, I've led colleges through three recessions, but this is the deepest by far.

However, I do want to emphasize that there's better news on the horizon. Emergency funding has come through from the legislature—and that means we won't have to make cuts next year. The bleeding is going to stop, so there's good reason for us to be optimistic.

Here's the reality. Better times are coming, but in the meantime, we need to make painful cuts. The majority of the cuts will be made to student services. Believe me, this is not something I want to do. However, in previous years, we made cuts to other departments, and we simply have no other choice.

Moreover, if we're going to limit these cuts to student services, we have no choice but to cut our workforce by three percent. Most of these cuts will come from classified and administrative positions, but we also have to cut five faculty positions.

I believe that what Birchwood Hills needs is a "shared governance" team to look for efficiencies. I know that's not what many people here want to hear, but if we don't do this the reality is that even more student services and courses will be cut.

None of this comes easy, for me or for anyone else. But once again, I want to emphasize how important it is for everyone here to remain optimistic. I firmly believe that next year things will be better. Birchwood Hills remains deeply committed to providing an outstanding education to all of our students and a supportive work environment for faculty and staff.

GWEN ROSEN

Faculty Union President

So Dr. Monroe thinks it's time to cut five faculty positions? That is absolutely unacceptable. I was elected to the position of faculty union president on one simple platform—to eliminate faculty cuts. I am not going to allow these cuts to happen on my watch.

It's time to cut the number of deans at this college from seven to four. If the president and board members aren't willing to cooperate with us? Well, let's just say I'm not the only faculty member who thinks the president has been here for too long. And the same goes for the Vice President of Academic Affairs—she's been here way too long as well. We have the power to run our own candidates for the board.

Some people here at Birchwood Hills think I'm going too far. They've accused me of trying to embarrass the president and the administration at board meetings. Well, you know what? I'm just speaking the truth about the damage they're inflicting on this college and to our students. If that embarrasses them, so be it.

STEVEN GRAYSON

President of the Academic Senate and Chair of the College Council

Nobody wants to cut student services or faculty positions. Believe me, I understand the frustrations of the faculty members who have been calling for the president's head. But this approach is not productive.

The most productive approach is to analyze why the state has been cutting funding to community colleges, and then address those concerns directly. The state has two main concerns with community colleges: low graduation rates and the inability of some schools to best serve the needs of students.

In response to these concerns, my approach has been to spread the word that Birchwood Hills is doing it the right way. For example, I regularly write letters to news outlets and to legislators about Birchwood Hills. In these letters, I highlight our quality student services, and our improved graduation rates. This is the strategy that we need in order to improve relations with the state and to prevent further funding cuts.

PILAR GARCIA

Vice President for Academic Affairs

I'm exhausted. I've been at Birchwood Hills for over 30 years as a faculty member, chair, and dean, and now as a Vice President. I've never felt more stress than I do right now.

Here's what my job is like. For the past two years, I've had to reduce the number of courses we offer. Now, I have to increase class sizes and lay off some of our newest and most enthusiastic faculty members. I'm doing these things because we don't have a choice. Yet somehow the faculty union sees me as the bad guy.

Of course I am sympathetic to the union's concerns. But their solution is to lay off deans, and that's not going to work. Our deans are already working at maximum capacity because of decreased fiscal resources. And I have confidence in our deans. At a time like this, we need them to motivate staff and to solve problems.

ALLISON MURPHY-HALE

Vice President of Student Affairs

I'm here because I love the students. Unlike some faculty members, I didn't come to Birchwood Hills because I couldn't get a job at a four-year school. I came here because I believe in the mission of serving students who otherwise would not have access to a quality education. It's my job to help these students overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of their educational goals.

Faculty members have accused me of protecting student services at all cost – and you know what? They're probably right. That's why I'm absolutely at a loss right now. The administration has made it clear that we have no choice but to cut student services. And I understand where they're coming from. The reality is that we have increased enrollment, fewer seats, and a huge burden on the financial aid system. But that doesn't make my job any easier. Frankly, when it comes to cutting student services, I don't even know how to begin.

BRAD SCHOENECK

Chief Administrative Services Officer

I'm not the most popular person on campus right now. Unfortunately, when it comes to the budget, somebody has to be a realist, and that somebody is me.

Here's the deal. Over the past two years we have avoided faculty layoffs, and we've only laid off two percent of the classified staff. We did this by drawing upon our reserves, and we were able to balance the budget at the same time. Unfortunately, we can no longer use reserves because those are at the state minimum. It's that simple. This year's budget can only be balanced by budget reductions.

My recommendation? A reduction in force that amounts to 12 faculty, 20 more classified staff, and two administrators. I know that nobody wants to hear this, and I understand. I'm not a monster. But it's my job to make sure this college doesn't implode financially. Balancing the budget is mandatory, and to do that, we have to lay people off.

SHARON BROADFOOT

President of the Board of Trustees

These have been difficult times for Birchwood Hills Community College, and I support the president. Dr. Monroe is committed to the well-being of the students, faculty, and staff of this institution. He's doing everything he can to minimize the effects of this economic downturn.

I also support the report of the Finance Committee and their recommended reductions. I am painfully aware of the ramifications of their proposed cuts, but I also understand that these are necessary.

I'm proud to say that we've done everything in our power to take into consideration the concerns of the community. We've sat through two long and heated board meetings. Faculty and classified staff union leadership rallied their constituencies and students to protest the recommend cuts, and we listened.

But we've reached the point where we have no choice but to move forward. The board has instructed the president to bring his balanced budget to us in the next month with the necessary reductions in force.

LEO MARSHALL

President of Classified Union

Academics like to pretend like things are more progressive here than in the corporate world. Well, that's a lot of bull. The administration has been balancing the budget on the backs of the classified staff members. You think the deans are worried about their jobs? That's not how things work. We've had layoffs two years in a row along with a hiring and wage freeze. That means those of us who are left have to work harder without additional compensation.

Look, I don't want to say this publicly, but I'm a bigger fan of the president than I let on. Dr. Monroe doesn't exactly have our backs, but he's spoken to me a number of times and I know he's sympathetic. But I'd be a bigger fan of his if he would do the right thing. Birchwood Hills needs to stop cutting staff positions and give us a raise! We're the lowest paid workers on campus and we haven't had a raise in two years.

ASHLEY TAKASHI

Student Advisory Representative, Board of Trustees

I've had the honor of serving as the student advisory representative on the Board of Trustees. That's been an eye opening experience! I still feel strongly about student needs. But I understand a lot better where the administration is coming from.

Here's my position. There's a lot of talk about getting rid of professors to save money. That's the worst thing they can do. I know if they get rid of professors, our class sizes will get bigger. But that's a tradeoff we can live with. Otherwise, they're going to cut classes—and that means it will be harder for us to get the classes we need to graduate.

EVAN LIPPINCOTT

Student

So they want to cut student services and increase class sizes? And raise tuition? That's freakin' ridiculous!

Someone needs to go read the mission statement. This is a community college. They're here to educate students who weren't born with a silver spoon in their mouth. I'm a pretty typical student around here—single dad, working long hours, going to school full time. I don't expect a handout from anyone, but I do expect that this school will live up to its mission and give students like me a chance to get ahead.

A few weeks ago, a buddy of mine talked me into going to this huge board meeting. We were there for hours, talking about how the budget cuts affect us. It seemed really cool—at the time. But you know what's gonna come out of that? Nothing! They only pretend to listen to us.

CREDITS

Subject Matter Expert:

Ed Gould, Ed.D.