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President's Budget Message

It is both an honor and a pleasure to present to you my first budget message as President of Chemeketa Community College. My intention with this message is to give you a sense of the current budget environment, the current direction of the college, and highlight our major budget initiatives.

As has been the case for Chemeketa in the past years, our expected costs are greater than our expected revenue in the General Fund. This budget shortfall is not of the same magnitude of previous years. It does, however, continue a troubling trend for community colleges in Oregon. Although Oregon’s economy may not experience the severe economic downturn that the national economy is experiencing, our funding is by no means stable.

In May and June, the State economist will issue a more precise economic forecast. As the release of this forecast will occur after the Chemeketa budget has been approved, we may have to make reductions in our General Fund costs during the 2008-2009 fiscal year in the event of a negative report. We remain optimistic and hopeful that this will not occur.

General Fund Resources

Tuition and Fees

This budget includes a $3.00 per credit hour increase in tuition. The increase reflects the general rise in the cost of operating Chemeketa and maintains relative affordability for Chemeketa’s students. Chemeketa’s tuition remains close to the state average for community colleges and is approximately half the tuition cost of Oregon’s public universities. Also included in this budget is a recommendation for a one-time enrollment fee for students when they first enroll at Chemeketa.

Legislative Support

The amount of revenue that Chemeketa receives from the state is dependent on the amount the legislature appropriates to Oregon community colleges. While the appropriation for 2008-2009 was set by the legislature during their 2007-2008 session, the economic forecast in May or June may change the amount of legislative support we receive from the legislature.

General Fund Costs

This budget includes further investments in our curriculum redesign, and our student success initiatives that are central to our 2008-2009 strategic plan. These initiatives are designed to retain the students currently enrolled at Chemeketa, recruit new students, and increase the number of credits students take per term.

This budget also includes steps, cost of living adjustments, and other increases called for in collective bargaining unit contracts. It also includes a 2% increase in materials and supplies.

The current contracts with full-time and part-time faculty will expire on June 30, 2008. These two units have been dissolved and a combined unit has been formed. The college is negotiating a new contract with the combined unit.

Summary

In my first six months as president, I have met countless people who believe that Chemeketa Community College plays a critical role in the vitality and livability of the district. It is my intention that this budget helps Chemeketa move closer to fulfilling the promises to the citizens of our district contained in our Statement of Strategic Intent.

Respectfully submitted,

Cheryl Roberts signature