president addresses economic downturn

Mon., Nov 24

In response to concerns about the impact of the economic downturn on Southern and its students, President Cheryl J. Norton has issued the following letter.

Dear Friends of Southern,

The ongoing economic downturn and accompanying uncertainty about the future have made this a challenging time for us all. Already the projected deficit in the state of Connecticut's budget has impacted our bottom line at Southern in several ways. And in fiscal year 2010 we face a further cut of 10 percent, or approximately $5 million, from our operating funds as the state seeks to reduce a deficit of $2.6 billion.

As Governor Rell pointed out recently: "The time for hoping our economic problems will simply pass like an afternoon storm is over."

The funding cutbacks for Southern means that we must aggressively manage both our enrollment - which provides us with a vital revenue stream - and our expenditures. Fortunately, in the coming years we are anticipating a heightened interest in Southern as a university of choice. This is not only because of our long-established reputation for quality academic programs and faculty, but due to the educational value we offer. With the decline in the economy, many families will be looking for a high quality education at an affordable price.

Southern is a public institution with a long-established mission to serve Connecticut: 92 percent of our current enrollment is drawn from within the state, and fully 86 percent of our graduates remain in Connecticut to live and work after completing their higher education. In addition, state Department of Labor statistics show that between 2002 and 2012, more than half of the new jobs statewide will require significant post-secondary education or a higher education degree. With these facts in mind, we recognize that expanding the knowledge economy in Connecticut is critical to its financial stability, and addressing an expanding educational need is indeed our responsibility.

While we work to manage our enrollment, we will continue to seek to reduce expenditures in all areas of campus, without hindering our services to students or limiting our educational offerings. In fact, we can turn the current challenges into opportunities by examining what we do and furthering our ongoing efforts to find ways to operate more cost effectively and efficiently in support of our students' success.  For example, are there programs that we need and are not offering, or some that we offer that are not in demand? Or, can areas of the university benefit from a greater use of technology, thus becoming more efficient and free staff for strategic assignments?  These and many related questions will to be asked in the coming months.

We also understand that many families are concerned that their college savings and investments will not go as far as planned. Now, even though Southern's tuition and fees are among the lowest of any four-year institution in the state, our students currently graduate with an average debt of more than $18,000, and the ongoing national credit crunch is limiting future access to student loans. At Southern, we take the financial burden of education seriously, and we will continue to seek ways to provide more assistance for our students, through both public and private sources of support.

Through these and other measures, we will work to ensure that our students continue to receive the best educational experience possible, as we prepare them to become the community leaders of tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Dr. Cheryl J. Norton 
President