Budget gap forces CNM tuition hike

College also nixes pay increases for faculty, staff

Facing a budget shortfall of $3 million, Central New Mexico Community College this week announced it will raise tuition, not give pay raises to faculty or staff and postpone eight capital projects in the college’s master plan.

Other belt-tightening measures have also been imposed.

With the cuts, the Governing Board approved a nearly $233 million budget proposal for the 2015-16 fiscal year that begins July 1. It includes CNM’s operating, capital and grants, and contracts budgets.

“Due to several issues that have impacted our funding, CNM was faced with a budget shortfall of about $3 million for the year ahead that required many tough decisions as we worked toward the balanced budget,” said CNM President Kathie Winograd in a letter to the campus community.

The budget includes “slight increases” in tuition, Winograd said. Academic Transfer courses will go from $50 per credit hour to $51 per credit hour, and Career Technical Education and Developmental Education courses for indistrict residents will jump from $18 per credit hour to $25.50.

“With these tuition increases, CNM will remain one of the best values in the country for high quality education,” she said in her letter.

Winograd blamed the budgeting woes on three primary factors:

Historically low oil and gas prices that lowered state revenue and, in turn, reduced the amount of money available for higher education. Declining enrollment. Flat revenue from the mill levy, a percentage of property taxes from the CNM District goes to CNM.

To close the $3 million gap in the operating budget, a spokesman said, CNM cut spending on small projects and maintenance, slowed the replacement of technology, reduced travel expenses, plans to scrutinize the need for filling any and all vacant positions, and is making sure classes are filled to near capacity.

Winograd also said there will be no salary increases for faculty or staff.

Recently retired part-time faculty member Benay Blend, contacted by the Journal, asked “what happens to the raise that the union negotiated? Is that just null and void? The union voted on it. It was supposed to be 2 percent.”

Blend was referring to the most recent contract negotiations between the college and the employees union, which have yet to be finalized. The existing contract expires at the end of the year.

Winograd’s letter did not mention the negotiated raises.

The college was also stung by the Legislature’s failure to pass a capital outlay bill, which included projects for CNM, Winograd said. Gov. Susana Martinez could still call a special session of the Legislature, but that has not been decided and no one can say what might happen if a special session becomes reality.

CNM will hold a local bond election early next year, Winograd said. Unless and until voters approve additional funding for capital projects, eight master plan projects will remain in limbo:

Phase II renovation of the J Building.

Wayfinding improvements on several CNM campuses.

A broadcast and display system. Renovation of E Building. Grading and drainage improvements at Trades, Max Salazar Hall and the Student Services Center. CNM Connect Technology. Retro-commissioning — mostly HVAC or high-voltage alternating current — of Max Salazar Hall, Smith Brasher Hall, the Students Services Center, the Workforce Training Center, K Building and J Building.

Building Information Modeling for all campuses.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that the status quo in terms of our business model is not a sustainable approach for the future, given the unpredictability of state funding, enrollment and population trends, and property values,” Winograd told the CNM community. “We have entered a pivotal time in CNM’s history.”

CNM will receive $1.5 million in new state funding. And it can expect only about $500,000 in new money from the mill levy.

At the same time, fixed costs will increase by about $5 million, including significant increases in health insurance costs.