MWSU Budget Cuts (4-6-20)

MWSU Budget Cuts (4-6-20)

Zandt.

We start tonight with missouri western after administrators announce their considering a $5 million budget cut.

It would be wide-sweeping across campus, eliminating about 50 programs students currently can major in.

Western administrators say it's happening at a lot of other schools across the nation, but it doesn't make their situation feel any better.

<<they're not just bleeding black and gold at missouri western these days -- they're bleeding red -- a lot of red ink."the university can not continue in its current state."

Over the weekend, administrators proposed making about 5 million dollars in budget cuts -- so severe they would wipe out degree programs in nearly 50 different fields over the next two years."what we have tried to be for a number of years, i think we've done it reasonably well is to be all things to all people.

Many institutions are stepping back from that to say we can no longer sustain all the programs we now have."the degree programs proposed to be cut include everything from english to math, to sciences like biology and chemistry, to economics and even phys ed.

Administrators say these majors were selected due to their low enrollment, the faculty needed to teach the subjects and the practicality of these degrees in today's job market."the ability to offer all these programs for every student simply is not sustainable.

Yes, definitely, we will have students that will not select missouri western, there are options around.university provost douglas davenport blames the problem on funding from the state, which has been relatively flat over the past ten years, and enrollment has gone down from 4,400 students to about 3,500 in that same time."even though we've had declining enrollment, we've added faculty in a number of areas, added staff in a number of areas.

Along with that, the cost of healthcare, utilities,benefits, those costs continue to escalate year over year."so instead, the university says they want to invest in other areas where they're stong, like the business school and others."we will focus on our strengths and ensure our graduates are prepared to compete and to provide a positive impact in community.and with the coming, what about recent expansions in western's sports programs, adding cross and field and even e-sports?

Their funding stream is different"the student experience is an important priority.

Experience is one piec, there's also the social side of simply cut your way to prosperity.

"at the end of the balance the checkbook, we must meet our obligations.">> the program eliminations would come after two years, allowing students currently in those fields a chance to complete their bachelor's degree.

Davenport says the academic review board first looked at programs that are not graduating at least 10 students per year.

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