Chapter 1
Overiew and History

 

1.3 Current Outlook

Recently, university expansion has been affected by statewide financial issues. Because all 15 state universities in Michigan are independent entities, appropriations are allocated individually, not necessarily tied to need or student population growth. State appropriations for individual institutions range from $3,890 per student at SVSU to around $10,000 per student at several large state universities. Since state universities are not members of a unified system but are competitors in a free market and may offer similar programs in close proximity, planning has become essential to growth and success.

Furthermore, because Michigan state appropriations may vary from year to year, each institution must be active in state political processes, through its own initiatives and through participation in the Presidents’ Council, which maintains its offices in the state capitol. Michigan’s Democratic governor took office in January 2003; the state legislature retains a Republican majority. Faced with a huge budget deficit, the new governor reduced FY 2004 appropriations to most state universities by 6.5%; this followed a previous midyear reduction by the former governor of 3.5%. Though the current appropriation for SVSU actually provided an increase of .9%, budget freezes or additional cuts in appropriations will continue. Thus for the first time, the State is now providing less than half of SVSU’s $66 million General Fund budget – considerably less than is obtained from tuition income. Like most other state universities, SVSU is now state-assisted, rather than state-supported.

SVSU Revenue by Source: 1993, 2003SVSU Revenue by Source: 1993, 2003
Figure 1-9
(Enlarged Graphic)

In spite of financial pressures, however, SVSU’s 2003 tuition and fees have increased only 6.1%, and the institution continues to have the lowest tuition rates of any public university in Michigan.

Michigan's Public Universities
Ranked by Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
2003-2004
Tuition Increase
Figure 1-10
(Enlarged Graphic)

Long-range planning reflects this changing economic environment. The recently completed expansion of buildings and facilities occurred in the favorable economic conditions of the ‘90s. Now the university is approaching a physical size and shape that will complete the master plan. In May 2003, the Board of Control accepted a report from SVSU’s long-term enrollment planning group to set the “right size” of the university for the next decade. The planning group recognized that SVSU is located in a region that has shown no significant increase in population for the past three decades. Almost all enrollment growth during the past five years has come from outside the region and has been tied to investment in student housing and infrastructure that carries long-term debt service. In addition, the number of Michigan high school graduates is projected to peak in 2008. Other regional factors have also had a direct impact on the institution. Once primarily a manufacturing center, the Tri-Cities area now has a more diverse but not expanding economic base. As state support shrinks and difficult economic conditions affect the region, the long-range planning process has become increasingly important, tied directly to questions of resource allocation.

After careful assessment of the institution’s identity, area population factors, trends in undergraduate and graduate offerings, and issues related to international student enrollment, as well as the university’s physical plant, the planning group has concluded that an appropriate size for the institution is about 10,000 students. The university plans to reach this target by 2005-2006. Having entered a more competitive arena and seeking the same better-prepared students recruited by other institutions, SVSU’s competitiveness now resides in its quality of student and academic life. Thus, the university will not aggressively pursue further expansion, but will focus on the quality of its programs while remaining accessible for regional students.

SVSU is thus anticipating a future different from the past decade. As a maturing institution, it now has multiple constituencies with different expectations: first-time-in-college students seek training for productive careers; area communities look to the university to create an educated citizenry prepared for future leadership; the university itself is an economic enterprise (one of Saginaw County’s largest employers); the university has become a cultural center, providing new cultural programs and resources to the region; both community and university groups see SVSU facilities as desirable. Consequently, SVSU has a very different presence in the community than it did a decade ago.

One educational challenge for the future, then, will be to enhance programs in a time of shrinking state appropriations. As SVSU carries out its mission and seeks to remain true to its values, it will be necessary to balance competing goals. The university, as previously mentioned, has always prided itself on good teaching, the most significant factor in tenure and promotion; many SVSU professors have been accorded local, state, or national honors recognizing their teaching and scholarly accomplishments. However, demands for grants and publications are increasing, and to retain quality faculty, the university must also recognize the scholarly aspirations of new faculty. Other demands on faculty time will continue as well. Academic planning processes both value and demand faculty time; full teaching loads (4/4) and service obligations help the university survive. However, faculty may be required to take on university responsibilities earlier in their academic careers than they had anticipated. Consequently, there is an emerging need to develop strategies for balancing competing demands on faculty.

The university has recruited well-trained faculty from excellent graduate programs across the country, and, as it has grown, the proportion of faculty from such programs has increased. Thus, in spite of economic pressures, recruitment of quality faculty, both full- and part-time, must continue. The contract limits the full-time/part-time faculty ratio. Part-time faculty often bring with them strong community connections and specialized expertise from area industries. However, their availability may be constrained by geography, since SVSU’s location makes it difficult to recruit adjunct faculty from the ranks of graduate students at large regional universities.

Another challenge is to provide quality services and support for multiple student constituencies: on-campus students, international students, and commuter students. Decreases in appropriations have put new pressures on staff to address these needs fully without proportionate resources.

In spite of these challenges, some bedrock values have been consistent throughout the history of the institution. One of these is the student-centered philosophy. Even faculty who may once have envisioned careers at large research institutions find teaching at SVSU rewarding, often developing superb teaching skills and collaborative student-faculty research agendas. Just as SVSU rewards service, it “counts” research on pedagogy as legitimate scholarly activity. The range of research options expands careers beyond narrow individual research agendas, and the integration of service, teaching, and research are valued in tenure and promotion. Student surveys indicate a high level of satisfaction with the quality of education, the well-equipped and well-maintained campus, and their over-all university experience.

Another bedrock value is the university’s reciprocal relationship with the community. This is evident in many arenas: many programs have community advisory boards; many alumni remain in the community and maintain a link to the university; the Board of Fellows, comprised of community leaders, provides regular input into university plans and activities; the SVSU Foundation is supported by community members; the Family Business Program provides regular training and networking opportunities that link the business and management faculty directly with community members and community issues.

To summarize SVSU’s current outlook, the decade ahead will see the following issues shaping SVSU’s future: