This afternoon The Evergreen State College opened the House Higher Education Committee hearing.

Ken Tabbutt, Interim Provost, provided the Committee with a brief overview of Evergreen followed by details regarding the impact of the Governor’s proposed 2011-13 operating budget.  Tabbutt highlighted both the fiscal and the policy impacts of the proposed budget. 

• State funding is reduced for Evergreen by 26.3% for the 2011-13 biennium.
• Proposed tuition revenue generated leaves Evergreen’s General Operating Fund budget in deficit. The Governor’s budget does not take into account costs associated with over-enrollments and assumes greater  tuition revenue raising capacity
• Under this proposal tuition revenue represents 63% of Evergreen’s budget compared to 57% last biennium.
• Assumes Evergreen permanently sustains current over-enrolled levels (2010-2011 4,600 FTE, approx: 400 over-enrolled)
• Provides funding for the State Need Grant
•  Eliminates the current per-student funding based budgeting and replaces with degree production based model.
• Provides $250,000 per year for TRIO program expansion
• Evergreen is eligible to participate in a new baccalaureate incentive system ($5 million for all public, baccalaureate institutions)
• Retains proviso limiting where reductions can be made from the prior biennium
• Removes higher education institutions as recipients of Education Legacy Trust Funds.

In addition, Tabbutt shared with committee members the reductions and efficiencies the College has taken to meet reductions in state funding since 2008 and what is at risk if this trend continues.

Following Evergreen’s presentation the Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Workforce Board, and the State Community & Technical Colleges Board provided an overview of the impacts of the Governor’s proposed budgets on their work.