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Kirkwood Meets Needs and Deals with Challenges

By February 4, 2010January 14th, 2019No Comments

–by Dr. Mick Starcevich

“You play the cards you’re dealt.”

It’s an old cliché’, but it seems especially true for our college in these times. As Kirkwood Community College welcomes one of the largest surges of student numbers in a generation, financial support from the Iowa Statehouse is on track for the biggest set of reductions in decades. We are making many decisions to address these circumstances, careful moves to meet the community’s needs while positioning us for prudent use of resources now and in future years. Public questions and some recent media coverage prompt me to set the record straight on some key points.

Our budget reductions are cumulative. Kirkwood is dealing with cuts mandated by the legislature, just as all other state entities. Our state support was reduced last year by $0.4 million. This year we have to find another $3 million in savings to offset the recent 10 percent state general aid reduction. From the start of fiscal year 2009 to the end of fiscal year 2011 we will face a total budget reduction of more than $6 million. These are daunting numbers and have required many creative, tough measures.

A good part of the difference is being made up by substantial increases in student enrollments. We have seen increases nearing 2,000 students each semester, fall 2009 and this spring. We welcomed nearly 16 percent more students this spring than last, a near-unprecedented growth in one year. A big part of that growth is people returning to college or coming for the first time, ages 25 and up. While this growth makes a positive impact on our tuition revenue, it also increases our need for adjunct faculty and support staff.

To meet these challenges, we are offering a special retirement incentive for this year. These are difficult times, requiring extra measures. Kirkwood will offer an enhanced retirement incentive for faculty and staff ages 55 and above with 10 or more years of consecutive service. This was not an easy decision but budget facts require it. We only expect 20 to 25 of our veteran employees to take this route. That will help offset some budgetary needs.

Contrary to some reports, the vast majority of these positions will be re-hired. Given these times, we need people in nearly every area of our college to meet rising enrollments and widening community needs. The last time Kirkwood faced this extraordinary retirement need, 46 people took this retirement path in 2000-2001. Unlike a decade ago, we need people to continue these tasks—and probably will hire for a few more strategic needs in the coming year. Our students are paramount and we remain committed to meeting their needs. We expect to cut a handful of college positions outside the retirement procedure, based on college-wide efficiency reviews. With every retirement or reduction, I see faces and feel personal struggles.

Also contrary to some reports, our services based at the Lincoln Learning Center will continue. If anything, the adult education, GED and literacy programs are more important now than ever! We expect to relocate these services to current college facilities. The decision to close Lincoln next December involved mounting costs at an aging structure.

In these tough times, we remain committed to the long-standing Kirkwood mission: To identify community needs; provide accessible, quality education and training; and promote opportunities for lifelong learning. In 2009 we did just that for more than 22,000 college credit students and another 40,000 individuals in continuing education courses. Our numbers in the current year will rise well above those. Through it all, we renew our pledge to meet our mission with all our hearts and energy. Now more than ever, we are the community’s college.
[Dr. Starcevich is president of Kirkwood Community College. This commentary was originally published in The Gazette Jan. 31, 2010.]