New Motlow president says funding a concern
The honeymoon is over for new Motlow State Community College president Dr. Art Walker who, after taking office last month, is already having to deal with looming funding cuts as a result of the state’s fiscal problems.
“Funding is the major challenge facing Motlow and all higher education in the state right now,” Walker told the Breakfast Rotary Club Tuesday. “We’re facing cuts between $240,000 and $480,000 from this year’s budget and an $820,000 permanent cut from next year’s budget.”
Walker was chosen as Motlow’s fourth president by the Tennessee Board of Regents in October. He replaces Dr. Frank Glass, who retired after 16 years on the job.
A 25-year veteran officer of the Air Force, Walker, who earned his Doctor of Education degree from the University of Memphis, has been employed by Motlow since 1988. Beginning as a psychology instructor, he served as director of Motlow’s Fayetteville Center from 1989 to 2000, when he was named Motlow’s vice president for academic affairs.
In speaking to Rotarians Tuesday, Walker said the recently passed state lottery, while assisting state students with tuition, will present Motlow with an additional financial challenge.
“The lottery will put money in the hands of students, which will make Motlow accessible for more people, but it will not necessarily increase appropriations from the state, appropriations we will need to help us with the additional strain on our infrastructure,” he said.
This potential problem would be compounded by the fact that for the past few years the state has only funded Motlow at between 85 and 90 percent of what it was supposed to, according to the state’s enrollment-based funding formula. This situation is just made worse by the institution’s ever-increasing enrollment.
Walker said he and other school officials are always looking for additional sources of revenue, including the selling the naming rights of campus buildings, offices, classrooms and even toilet bowl handles.
“If it doesn’t move, it can be named,” he said with a laugh.
Speaking of local concerns, Walker said the planned 20,000-square-foot expansion of Motlow’s McMinnville Center is currently 13th on the Board of Regents’ capital projects list. He said he didn’t know when the expansion might begin, as no capital projects have started over the past few years due to a lack of funding.