In the past year, University of Idaho has dealt with issues that have affected the budget from COVID-19 financial cuts to the 2021 legislative session addressing university spending.
“The attention gets paid more to the general education budget,” Assistant Vice President for University Budget and Planning Trina Mahoney said. “This is dictated to us by the state.”
The general education budget includes $93 million from the state, $11 million from endowment and $60 million from student fees. The total operating cost for UI is around $450 million.
“The other pieces are grants, contracts and auxiliaries,” Mahoney said. “They operate like businesses. It is the bookstore, student rec center, housing and dining- the big groups that charge rates to students or faculty and staff.”
In accordance with Gov. Brad Little’s higher education budget the state implemented a 5% holdback that was put in place during the pandemic.
“For general education, it was $4.7 million,” Mahoney said. “It was a one-time holdback, but at the same time, they gave us $1.4 million for change and employee compensation, so raises, but not to implement them.”
This left a $3.3 million deficit that triggered a university wide furlough to make up for the deficit.
“It was a mandatory furlough for employees,” Mahoney said. “There was a minimum number of hours, then ramped up based on how much you made. Those making the most had the most number of hours taken off.”
Mahoney said that President Scott Green’s actions during the pandemic to help in managing the budget were focused on making good investments. Green implemented more reviews of budgets and followed spending trends. Spending was low enough that it allowed Green to do an incentive payment.
“Based on how much people lost on wage through the furlough,” Mahoney said. “It wasn’t a reversal of the furlough, but the payments people received were based on the paycheck hit due to (the furlough).”
The recent passing of HB387 cut $2.5 million total from UI, Boise State University and Idaho State University budgets. UI lost $500,000 from the budget cut.
“We will wait and see how fall net tuition and waivers are and how we are doing within the budget,” Mahoney said. “We set the budget very conservatively and we have a $3 million contingency built into the budget. If all goes well, we can cover that from central funds and not have to impact any units that provide services to students.”
Mahoney said there is uncertainty in plans for program cuts and what impact the recent passing of HB387 has on revising student fees. At this point, there aren’t any.
The appropriation bill concerning UI’s 2022 budget will have the university review its student fees, all of which are currently mandatory.
“The legislature has asked us to make some of those optional, so if you as a student feel it is something that goes against your values or beliefs, you are not forced to pay into that,” Mahoney said. “An important element that the legislature is aware of is how involved students are in the fee setting side. That is all done by a student fee committee that is 100% student-run.”
The dedicated Associated Student Activity Fee Committee is a group of students that hear proposals and review student fees. The committee contains members from ASUI, Graduate & Professional Student Association and Student Bar Association.
“Truly a student-directed committee,” ASUI Vice President Katelyn Hettinga said. “(ACFC) hears presentations for student fee increases, then makes decisions on whether or not departments actually get the student fee increase they request.”
The committee works with Mahoney as well as the Dean of Students Office. The university members often answer questions and help members make education decisions.
“It is never a plan from the university to increase student fees,” Hettinga said. “It goes by department.”
Hettinga explained that departments request specific program fees, presenting on why they need the additional funding to the committee.
“The entire process is centered around what student fee increase would benefit students,” Hettinga said. “If it comes out of students’ pockets, we want to make sure there is value going back into their educations.”
All institutions are not raising their tuitions this academic year, except for Lewis-Clark State College according to Mahoney. As for student fees, UI will see an $18 increase.
“The list of fees, over many years, represent the priority of students themselves,” Mahoney said. “We will work with what the legislature wants us to accomplish as far as affordability, but also be able to maintain those services and not cut any programs.”
For further information, UI’s budget and planning website has the fee schedule for 2021-2022, showing where student fees go.
Daniel V. Ramirez can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @DVR_Tweets