Austin Community College has announced it will cut almost 300 classes to compensate for a $2.1 million budget shortfall, a move that has angered many faculty members who charge that the cuts are an example of administrative mismanagement.
"We've never simply cut classes, especially on this scale, to save money or make up a budget shortfall," said Joe Lostracco, an English professor. "Some faculty have said it's not right to expect students to make up for a budget shortfall caused by administrative mismanagement and the board's lack of proper oversight."
ACC officials have cut 297 classes from the spring and summer schedules - 14 percent of the 2,067 courses offered. Other measures include a hiring freeze for the rest of the year, a reduction in technology purchases, a $1-per-hour building fee increase and a new $30 fee for summer applicants.
Many ACC students were still unaware on Monday of the cuts in classes and the proposed fee increases.
"No, I haven't heard anything about that," said Troy Hunts, a computer science freshman. "I was definitely going to take some summer courses, and if that would affect me taking them, then I'd definitely be opposed to it."
Students enrolled in the eliminated classes were notified of the cuts by an automated phone system last week, ACC officials said.
Officials said this year's deficit was caused by the downturns in both the national and local economies and an unexpected increase in enrollment, up 7 percent from the projected 2.5 percent increase that was budgeted. While more students provide more tuition money, they do not cover the cost of the additional faculty and resources that are needed to support those students, said Edward Osborn, a marketing executive.
Exacerbating the problem is the fact that the college's two other revenue sources - state funding and money from property taxes - have remained static over the past two decades.
"When our enrollment goes up, two--thirds of our revenue isn't going [up] fast enough to compensate," Osborn said.
The property tax rate for ACC is five cents for every $100 of valuation, a third of the state average and the lowest in the state. Officials plan on bringing a proposal before the public next year to raise the tax.
But some ACC faculty members say the budget shortfall is not a result of economic recession or higher enrollment, but is due to the board's continued bad planning.
The Faculty Senate has made known its disagreement with official policy, requesting an audit of the college from the state comptroller in 1999 and giving a vote of no confidence to ACC President Richard Fonte in fall 2000.
Those drastic actions were necessary because administrators disregarded faculty members' concerns, said Lostracco, who was the Faculty Senate president in 1999.
"Much could have been avoided had there been better administrative planning and involvement of the faculty in how to offset this without cutting classes," he said. "There is a sense among faculty that the board of trustees has not listened to the things we brought to them and have not held the administration accountable for consulting with the faculty."
It is not only the faculty that ACC administrators have treated badly, but the students as well, Lostracco said.
A prime example of the college's treatment of the student body is its recent and sudden termination of a pilot program that offered half--priced tuition to students who took classes during off--peak hours of the day, he said.
Students enrolled in the qualifying classes had already paid the tuition but were notified in a letter sent last Friday that they would have to make up the tuition difference or be dropped from their classes, Lostracco said. Those classes began Monday, giving the affected students only a few days to either pay the extra money or find new classes.
ACC officials said eliminating the program, originally designed to increase enrollment during less popular times of the day, was a smart move in light of the budget crisis.
"We looked at the numbers and looked at the budget, and couldn't justify continuing a program that was losing money," Osborn said. "We certainly wish we didn't have to do this, but on the other hand, we're publicly supported and feel this isn't fiscally supported."
Lostracco questioned why other programs that are more expensive and do not generate any revenue were not considered for cuts. He mentioned several of Fonte's presidential initiatives, such as the downtown center and an international business program, that many faculty members believe should be considered for elimination before cutting classes.
Despite the rift between ACC administration and faculty, and allegations of poor planning and mismanagement, officials say they are doing the best they can with a bad situation.
"It's frustrating to us to be challenged to the point of impossibility," Osborn said. "It's frustrating knowing that there's so much demand for our classes, and we can't serve the students."
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