Williamsburg Technical College Loses

Nearly 25 Percent in State Budget Cuts

This fiscal year Williamsburg Technical College has lost nearly a quarter of its annual state allocated budget monies due to legislative-mandated budget cuts and another 15 percent in cuts is projected for fiscal year 2009-2010.

According to WTC President Dr. Cleve H. Cox, the financial cuts from the state have reduced the College’s budget to 1980-1982 funding levels.  With inflation factored in, the allocation is well below those levels. “Our cuts to date total $362,796 with our current state allocation being $1,319,640,” Cox says. “In almost 30 years in educational administration, I have never seen anything like this.” 

Cox recently announced steps at the College to address the growing shortfall.  Many are one-time options which may help this fiscal year but may not be options in the future. Employees will take five leave-without-pay days April 13-17, 2009.  This is a 2% pay cut for employees.  To minimize the impact, payroll deductions will be spread over a six-month period.  The College will be closed on these furlough days so further utility usage savings can also be realized.

Additionally, the College will be closed Fridays beginning in 2009 to further reduce utility usage. Evening administrator positions have been eliminated and a hiring freeze on all positions has been imposed. Travel mileage reimbursements have reverted to previous amounts and day-travel meal reimbursements have been eliminated. Campus security has been reduced and operational costs are being funded through trades programs allocations, repair and renovation bond money, and funding originally budgeted for an upgrade to the College’s software information system.

Other cuts being considered include changing the monthly area commission board meetings to less frequent meetings; elimination of low-enrollment programs including criminal justice, electronics technology, human services, and nail technology; and curtailing certain community relations marketing endeavors.

Over the last seven years Williamsburg Technical College has made considerable adjustments to balance the budget after each new state-mandated cut.  Such adjustments have included cancellation of maintenance contracts, curtailing travel, reducing professional development opportunities, cutting course offerings, and combining already overloaded positions by not filling vacancies.   A comprehensive energy and water savings program has also been implemented.

By law, counties are expected to provide enough millage to their technical colleges to provide for overall physical facilities upkeep as well as renovation and repairs. Williamsburg Technical College currently only receives 6 mills, or around $470,000 annually, from Williamsburg County. Physical plant operation costs alone reached nearly $600,000 last year at the College, an amount which does not include preventive maintenance and much-needed facility repairs and renovations, nor does it cover replacement or upgrade of inefficient and obsolete equipment.

In addition to the across-the-board budget cuts for higher education, the legislature has also capped all tuition and fee increases so as to not “put the burden of the state’s fiscal shortfall on the shoulders of the students and their families.” In essence, Cox says, such a mandate to drastically cut a budget without a means to increase revenue places technical colleges – the producers of more college graduates than all SC four-year institutions combined – in the position of having to cut much-needed programs and personnel or even more drastic measures.  In spite of the devastating budget cuts, the entire college community is committed to maintaining its high educational standards.