The Jacksonville State University Board of Trustees on Monday approved a $96,249,905 budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. State appropriations for the university were down by $4,966,900, forcing the school to cut more than $1 million in funding for faculty and staff positions, reduce expenditures for fringe benefits by $468,457 and reduce other areas of the operational budget by $1.7 million.Student tuitions and fees make up 48 percent of JSU’s expected revenues for FY2009, up from 43 percent last year.
In addition, the university established a $1,374,794 proration reserve to be used if the state goes into proration during the year.
“The outlook for avoiding proration, however, for this year is not good. Proration is anticipated to be declared after the first of the year and may be in the range of three to five percent, that is an additional $3 million to $5 million cut for Jacksonville State University,” said Dr. William Meehan, president of JSU.
In other action, the board:
• Heard an update on JSU’s strategic plan from Dr. Alicia Simmons, head of institutional research and assessment. Simmons outlined the plans goals, including the goal of adding a doctoral program in emergency management, and the steps planned to achieve those objectives. A proposal for the doctoral program is being written and should be presented to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education next year.
• Passed a resolution allowing the university to lease vehicles whenever it is more cost effective than reimbursing an employee for business use of their personal vehicle. The university disallowed leasing of vehicles for this use in 1981. This resolution repealed that act.
• Passed a resolution to give tuition assistance to faculty and staff members of JSU and their families. This would enable full-time regular employees of the university to further their own education with the school’s assistance or for their spouses or dependant children to attend the university. Tuition assistance would be given based on the student’s grade point average.
• Re-appointed Jim Bennett as chairman of the board.
