Potential budget aims to make up deficit

Rowan University‘s administration is working hard to put together a concise budget that will protect charging students from excess fees. Rowan is potentially looking at a $12 million deficit. While this amount is subject to change depending on Governor Jon S. Corzine’s actions and money received from state, the final budget will be decided on by July 1.

University President Donald Farish is working with the Budget and Planning Committee to come up with an amended plan. The $12 million deficit came from basic maintenance fees, tech park salaries, paying the mortgage of new buildings and other costs. The current draft of the plan includes a four percent increase in tuition, which would allow for a $2 million revenue, half of which is going back to the students.

One of the ways the university will be able to generate more revenue is through providing more time for full-time (tenured) professors to teach their curriculum, eliminating the university’s dependence on adjunct professors. Dr. Farish is hoping to hire 50 full-time faculty members, including the 10 they already hired. Four of the 10 newly hired full-time faculty are in the communications college.

A program called “adjusted load” began almost five years ago. Historically, the faculty had 12 credits per semester with four three credit classes. There is limited time for faculty to do other parts of their job such as research or scholarship expectations. As a result, the university created a program where faculty could apply up to three credits of reassigned time.

According to Jim Newell, Interim Associate Provost, reassigned time is spent on other parts of their job like scholarship instead of teaching a course.

Rowan has been trying to eliminate its reliance on adjuncts, as they currently teach 480 courses a year. The fall schedule will not be affected, as most of the changes will be in managerial positions.

“We tried to do that so from a student’s perspective, changes would be invisible,” Farish said.

If Gov. Corzine decides to not go along with the 3 1/2 percent across-the-board scheduled pay increase, it could lower the deficit from $12 million to $10 million.