$1.1 Million Budget Cut Hits BCCC | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    WASHINGTON, NC     Due to a drop in full-time equivalent (FTE) students, Beaufort County Community College is making a necessary ten percent budget cut. The drop in FTE will result in an anticipated $1.1 million reduction in funds from the state. While supply, travel and equipment budgets will be reduced significantly, personnel will also be reduced due to its disproportionate share of the budget. Half of the community colleges in North Carolina are facing similarly lean budgets.

    BCCC has experienced a downward trend in FTE during the past few years. The vice presidents of all divisions were asked to make a reduction in their budgets. While reductions were made in other areas, personnel loss could not be avoided as it is approximately 74 percent of the overall budget.

    The staffing reductions will not take place until July 1, 2017 when contracts are regularly renewed. The reductions include three full-time faculty, four full-time staff and four part-time staff non-renewals. Additional savings will come from leaving three full-time and two part-time positions unfilled and downgrading one position.

    "We did the best we could to maintain instruction for students attending the college", said Dr. Barbara Tansey, president of BCCC. "All of our divisions gave up either personnel or significant budgets."

    The budget from the state is based on a two-year rolling average of FTE students attending the community college and, therefore, a reduction is expected during the 2017-2018 fiscal year. While the number of students has remained more stable in the current year, a significant drop in enrollment two years ago is now being felt in the budget. College administrators are hopeful that this unprecedented cut will be the last major cut. As the student populations stabilizes, so will the budget.

    The number of students in curriculum and continuing education programs dropped from 3,797 in the fall of 2015 semester to 3,541 during the fall of 2016, a 6.7% decrease. Since community colleges accommodate different kind of students, enrollment numbers are standardized using a formula called Full-Time Equivalent (FTE). One FTE equates to a full-time student taking 16 credit hours for two semesters. The drop in FTE was 8.1% for the year, and the budget formula was weighed down by a more significant decrease during the previous year.

    Staffing decisions were based on the performance of programs and changes in statewide mandates. Care was taken to not eliminate any programs or hurt services on which students rely.

    The college experienced a decline in enrollment after it withdrew from the Federal Student Loan Program in 2014 after BCCC's default rate spiked to 29 percent. More recent trends in student enrollment are a reflection of a larger demographic shift in the region. All of the counties in BCCC's service area have lost population during the last six years, with Beaufort losing 233 people, Hyde losing 393 people, Tyrrell losing 266 people and Washington losing 1,033 people. All of the counties have seen their citizens get older as well, with the average age in Beaufort and Washington Counties now at 44 years old.

    "Everyone at the college is doing their best to pull in more students, but with these demographic shifts across all of our counties, our target audience is disappearing," said Tansey. "We are being creative and opening up new avenues to enroll students." The college has shifted its focus to dual enrollment programs for high school students, with a third of its enrolled students now coming from those programs.

    The College hopes that these are the only budget reductions and contract non-renewals it will have to make. These reductions will help BCCC continue its mission to provide accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training and lifelong learning opportunities to the people of Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington Counties.

• Contact: Attila Nemecz
•     Attila.Nemecz@beaufortccc.edu