More students, less money likely for Technology Center
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“We’re being asked to do more with less,” said Technology Center director Dr. Abraham Pallas. “But there’s not a whole lot we can do. We’ll try to be creative and cut operating expenses, but the funding is just not going to be there to provide more programs.”
Like most other state agencies, the Technology Center faces a 9 percent cut of its state operating budget. And since the center receives a larger percentage of its budget from the state than two- and four-year colleges and universities, its proposed cut, which equals almost $104,000, will affect it even more than the cuts of other higher education institutions.
In response, Pallas said the center will be as frugal as possible and added he does not anticipate cutting any existing programs or laying off any employees. He did note, however, that he expects the Tennessee Board of Regents to increase tuition throughout the system.
Exacerbating the center’s budget cuts will be the expected influx of students wanting to attend the institution as a result of lottery scholarships. While the lottery will make higher education more affordable to state residents, Pallas noted it will not bring new money to the state’s higher education institutions.
“If we have 200 students and they all receive the scholarships, we don’t see $1 more. The scholarships will just replace money from the students’ pockets with the money from the lottery,” he explained.
One of the biggest problems, he said, is the Technology Center does not have the infrastructure to support all the students it already has applying, much less additional students the lottery scholarships will bring.
“We have finite space and equipment and we can’t exceed a certain student-to-teacher ratio and have an appropriate level of learning,” said Pallas, who added almost all of the center’s programs already have waiting lists – which will only get longer when lottery scholarships become available.
Further straining the center’s resources and infrastructure is the local economy. He said whenever layoffs occur his institution’s waiting lists grow longer, as they have with the closings of DeZurik and Findlay, and the recent announcement of layoffs at A.O. Smith.
While there is obviously a great demand for additional programs, Pallas said they simply can’t be offered without more money from the state.
To offer an additional section of automotive technology, for example, would require an additional $50,000 (to cover the salary and benefits of a full-time instructor as well as the program’s operational costs). Tuition and fees from 20 students, however, would only bring in around $26,000, leaving the center $24,000 short.
The only way to break even, Pallas said, would be to offer part-time evening programs. But it is difficult, he explained, to find an instructor who will teach only part time as well as students who wish to attend part time. It is also difficult to schedule the use of facilities between full-time and part-time programs.
Budget woes
Lottery money is expected to increase the number of college students, yet the Technology Center in McMinnville is facing over $100,000 in budget cuts.
• Center director Dr. Abraham Pallas doesn’t anticipate eliminating employees or cutting programs.
• He says there very well could be a tuition increase.