Mesa Must Tighten Its Belt by Dave Styler MESA COLLEGE WILL Be Unable to Lift Its Budget Others H Necessary
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Februe.ry 5, 1982 Volume 48, issue 19 Mesa College, Grand Junction c .s::: 0 1c 0 "§ 8 Hawaiian-style revelers frolic at the Second Annual 30. Some 300 casually clad people helped·ralse $938 for Las Vegas. Teke member Mike Fossenler called the Teke Beach Party held In the Liff Auditorium January . a Teke trip to the National Chartering Convention in event "a huge success." Mesa must tighten its belt By Dave Styler MESA COLLEGE WILL be unable to lift its budget others H necessary. there." freeze of $j50,000 because of an underestimate of "Obviously, the key to the consortiu·m is Metro," he The financial aid' change Tomlinson referred to is around 100 Full Time Equivalency (FTE) hours, in said in referring to its sizable student body. ''In the part of Pre'sident Reagan's latest budget slashing addition to a statewide budget freeze imposed two past five years, we have shared-as they have shared." program. Pell Grants (BEOQ) will be cut by about 45 weeks ago. However, Added Tomlinson, Metro State's figures percent along with similar reductions in work study and Mesa College President John TomHnson said are not as yet complete. nation loan programs, as reported by the American Monday that a total FTE count of 2,950 was given to the When it became apparent last semester that Mesa Council on Education. State Legislature on Jan. 27, short of the 3,050 would have to repay the legislature, Tomlinson ordered To predict next year's figures, Tomlinson said, "Our prediction made last year. budgets frozen schoolwide, including virtually the mode at this time is to make projections no higher The figure, which is 35 less than the number of full entirety of five different departmental budget requests, than this year's." time student equivalents last year, means that Mesa as well as a number of vacant faculty and support must repay to the Legislature around $185,000, or positions. Also put on hold were the learning material One difficulty in deciding FTE predictions is that $1 ,835 for each student short. budget and a portion of the physical plant's funds. ''we don't know how to respond to the growth in the Aside from the FTE dilemma, a surprise $28 million community." Tomlinson pointed to growth predictions The funding originated fro~ the legislature's Joint state deficit was discovered two weeks ago, which, said by such large entities as Colony Oil Shale, which is Budget Committee which . has the responsibility for Tomlinson, meant Mesa's budget would be restricted supposed to double its size, as well as Occidental Oil, responding to FTE predicitions by the four conso·rtium by another $100,000. which has just laid off a substantial _number of colleges including Mesa, Adams State, Western State, "We're going to be very, very tight in all areas," workers. and Metro State. If an excess of funds existed said Tomlinson. "Historically," Tomlinson noted, "a downturn in the among the four schools, Tomlinson said it would As for next year's predictions on full-time student economy· has tended to put students back in college." normally be shared with those at budget deficits, such enrollment: Tomlinson said, "It's extremely difficult to Compared with other schools nationwide, Tomlinson as Mesa. predict next year's (enrollment) because of the financial said ''The only difference we may have is the Of the four schools, Tomlinson noted, Metro State aid change. A number of students from town (who leave unpredictability of economy in the area." He added would have· the best chance of a higher-than-antici for college elsewhere) may decide to stay, and a that "if you know anyone with a crystal ball, we'd like pated FTE producing enough funds to share with the number of students from Denver may go to school to rent it.'' PAGE TWO, the Criterion, February 5, 1982 News Budg~t cuts to hit students hard By Dave Styler THE R£AGAN / ADMINISTRATION -is planning to on it including "doubling the origination fee charged on impact on 28 percent of public institutions and 51 slash five U.S . programs next month aimed at help ing all new loans from 5 percent to 10 percent, requiring percent of private institutions." Guaranteed Student · college students pay for their education. borrowers to pay market interest rates two years after Loan' (GSL) cuts were expected to affect enrollment in According to an American Council on Education entering 'repayment, and removing graduate a;nd 22 percent of public and 70 percent of private colleges. (ACE) press release, student aid reductions would professional students from guaranteed loan eligibi include Pell Grants (BE9G) cut by about 45 percent, lity.' '.. The release also quoted a recent statement by college work-study funding reduced by 27 percent, and Reagan budget head David Stockman before the House three programs, Supplemental Educational Opportun . Social Security benefits totaling $2 billion annually. Budget committee: "I do not accept the notion that the ity Grants, State Student Incentive Grants. and the will also be phased out by 1985, the report said. Federal Government has an obligation to fund generous National Direct Student Loan Program "would be The report continued that the cutbacks could force grants to anybody that wants to gci to college. It seems stripped from the U.S. budget." "upwards of one million students to drop out of school to me that if people want to go to college bad enough, The programs, accord~ng to the ACE, totaled $3.5 . or alter their education plans." then there is opportunity and responsibility on their billion in 1981. It was also stated that a survey by the Los part to finance their way through the best_ they can." In addition, the Guaranteed Student Loan Program , Angeles-based Higher Education Research Institute, The President's budget will be presented to the re,lease continued, would have restrictions placed Inc., showed that Pell Grant cuts will have "a severe Congress Feb. 8. Cuts to force Mesa students to seek work By Dave Styler THE REDUCTION IN student aid being planned by meet instead of relying on federal fundfog -programs. "exactly what the percentage of eligible recipients will the Reagan Administration in its new round of budget "Because of the reductions we will have less be we're not really sure of yet. In the next couple of cuts will cause students at Mesa College to alter their students qualifying for aid. Funding for next year will weeks we'll know what the fU'nding level's going to academic schedules to fit their work schedules in the be reduced and therefore the number of students be." - coming year. qualifying will be reduced," Alexander said. She Alexander held out some hope that certain funding Reagan's announcement to Congress Feb. 8 is added, however, ''I do not anticipate that it is going to options will be available, mentioning that "there's a expected to propose cuts in Pell Grants (BEOG) of 45 hurt many students." good · chance that some will qualify for work study or percent, work-study funding reductions of 27 percent, national student loans." She also noted that there and cuts in state grants, the National Student Loan Alexander said that "Students will be asked to save might be some cuts in Colorado grant programs as/well. Program, and other long-standing financial aid sources money during the summer and to work more than in Alexander also addressed the Full Time Equivalency for students, according to an American Council on past years during the semester. I don't believe the gift (FTE) enrollment problem at the college, connecting Education bulletin. aid will be there." She also added that "Your very the issue with the fact that many students will Mesa College Financial Aid Officer Kay Alexander needy students won't be affected." p.ecessarily hold down part-tim'e jobs: "I think FTE will predicts that due to the aid reductions, students will Currently, Alexander said, some 650 students are be affected by this. Your FTE is going down, not have to obtain jobs during the school year to make ends receiving funding from BEOG. In the future, she noted headcount, _bl.1.t the ·number of full-time students." Dorm censured "THIS CAMPUS DOES not take care of Pinon," said third year hall resident Charles Crihfield Compared to Aspen and Juniper Halls, Pinon does. seem to be lacking in some features, from no carpeting to no form of security at the dorms. Pinon Hall is an all-male dormitory that houses 197 residents. Crihfield stated he was "wiped out of $600 worth of stuff,'' stolen from a Pinon Hall dorm room. The locks of the dorm rooms have never been changed, even after master keys have disappeared, according to Crihfield. According to Housing Director Ray Biggs, "depen ding on the budget," carpet is being planned for the second floor of Pinon, but no major improvements are planned. Ray Biggs Co-ed dorms proposed By M.P. Shanahan · THE IDEA OF turning Juniper and Pinon Halk into Ellison. Some reasons given by the hall residents for co-educational · dormitories is being discussed by the not wanting to go co-ed were that they did not want to Housing Department at Mesa College, according to live in Pinon Hall and they did not want Juniper Hall Pinon Hall Resident Director Mark Schrader. "messed up" like Pinon. "Programming-wise it might be a better sftuation ' 'They're not willing to do the up-keep necessary to with more flexibility,'' said Housing Director Ray maintain them as co-ed dorms," said a Juniper Hall Biggs.