MCCC is facing it’s third consecutive year of declining revenues sources.
To compensate for this loss of income the school has decided on numerous budget cuts and a plan to build a Career Technology Center to teach additional programs in the hopes of attracting new students.
Some of the cuts more likely to affect students include the complete defunding of the college’s radio station, Dream 97.5, the elimination of the Career Focus magazine, and the transfer of $2 million dollars to the construction of the new facility from the school’s Maintainance and Replacement Fund, which has resulted in the delay of some of the school’s maintainance programs.
“We can make adjustments to the budget if we have to,” said David Nixon, MCCC’s President.
He attributed the staff’s and faculty’s willingness to accept pay freezes as one of the biggest reasons the budget cuts had not been deeper.
“If it had not been for that, it would be much more of a challenge,” he said.
The largest change to MCCC’s budget is a massive construction project called the Career Technology Center. The project will cost an estimated $17 million dollars, with half of the funds coming the state government.
“It is necessary,” Nixon said when asked about the project.
He said the school’s current facilities are old, outdated, and inadequate, and that a new building would be cheaper than expanding and modifying what the school already has.
“We have stayed within our means,” Nixon said. “The new building is on schedule and holding to its cost estimates.”
“We expect to break ground after January 1,” he said.
See page 6 for an article regarding Dream 97.5.
