The Citadel's Board of Visitors met last weekend and I would like to provide you the highlights.
The BOV approved an $85.6 million budget for the college, a $2.3 million reduction from the previous year. Our belt-tightening is in response to the unprecedented cuts to the college's state appropriation. In just two years the appropriation has dropped 45 percent, from $16.3 million to $8.9 million which we will receive in the 2010-11 fiscal year.
While we have been making great strides in operating efficiently and entrepreneurially, the magnitude of the state appropriation cut is so great that we must also look to increase tuition and fees.
The BOV approved an "all-in" increase of 6.3 percent for in-state students and 7 percent for out-of-state students. The tables below provide a summary of the increases.
In State
Out-of-state
Freshmen
$22,949 ($21,729)
$37,878 ($35,539)
Sophomores
$18,883 ($17,663)
$33,812 ($31,473)
Juniors and Seniors
$18,783 ($17,663)
$33,712 ($31,473)
(Numbers in parenthesis are 2009-2010)
The Citadel Graduate College tuition is increasing as well.
In State
Out-of-state
Graduate
$460 ($400)
$756 ($657)
Undergraduate
$365 ($341)
$640 ($598)
Professional Development
$123 ($123)
$364 ($364)
You may see media reports regarding the tuition and fees increases of 13 percent and 10 percent, respectively, for in-state and out-of-state undergraduate students. We prefer to focus on the all-in cost because that is the "sticker price" that students and families must pay. Some colleges focus on tuition but not increases in other costs and fees. We will be transparent and let families know precisely what it will cost to attend The Citadel.
We are very concerned about keeping the cost to attend The Citadel within reach of our students and their families - last year's tuition and fees increase was the lowest in 10 years. And because of our academic quality and commitment to financial aid, for the last two years The Citadel was one of
only two public colleges nationally in our category to earn a "Best Buy" designation from U.S. News & World Report.
In the face of unprecedented cuts in state appropriations raising tuition and fees was not an option but a necessity. However, it is important to note that the tuition and fees increases only partially offset the state appropriation cuts. If we sought to offset entirely the total cost of state budget cuts with tuition and fees, the in-state and out-of-state increases would have been a staggering 24 percent and 26 percent. That simply was not an option.
Instead we will continue to find further efficiencies and new revenues. In this effort the BOV approved creating a new senior position, Executive Vice President for Finance, Administration and Operations. This new position will carry the rank of brigadier general and will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the college. The Executive VP will work closely with the Provost, who remains the number two college official and serves as the chief academic officer, to provide strategic senior leadership in support of the President and the Board of Visitors. The Executive Vice President will be an individual with significant management experience and a demonstrated capacity for strategic leadership in the area of financial affairs. I would expect candidates to include those with proven track records running businesses and corporations, along with senior higher education executives. The successful candidate for this highly competitive position likely will combine leadership experience in both environments.
The Citadel Foundation Board of Directors endorsed this management model because it provides the high level fiscal and operational expertise needed to succeed in a very competitive higher education market. I deeply appreciate its commitment of support for this new position. As president my responsibility will remain ensuring our institutional focus remains on our strategic priorities. The Provost will ensure that we sustain and improve upon our academic excellence. I look forward to spending more time promoting the achievement of our vision - achieving excellence in the education of principled leaders - among the campus community and important constituencies. Just as important, like other college presidents, I am our chief fundraiser. With the Executive Vice President and the Provost minding the daily details of campus operation and our academic programs, I will be able to spend more time meeting with prospective donors and helping secure the support our college so desperately needs.
To conclude, we continue to make progress developing The Citadel's leadership experience. This May the Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics moved into its own facilities, one of the former townhouse residences on Richardson Avenue. We have created the position of Director of Academic Leadership Programs, and approved a new curriculum for the undergraduate leadership minor, as well as a new graduate leadership certificate. And recognizing that sophomore year is pivotal in the growth of cadets, we have initiated a sophomore leadership seminar.
I am very proud of what we have accomplished at The Citadel this past year. The campus community came together and did not let fiscal challenges distract us from advancing the priorities laid out in our strategic plan, The Blueprint. Later this summer I will issue a progress report on the Blueprint. Until then, thank you for all you do. And enjoy the summer.
John W. Rosa
Lieutenant General, USAF (Ret)
President
State Budget Update
Tuesday, 02 February 2010 09:03
A Message from Lt Gen Rosa
On Tuesday, 27 January 2010, we held a Town Hall meeting that was attended by about 350 members of The Citadel community.
Lt Gen Rosa kicked off the meeting with an update on the state’s fiscal condition, which, according to state leaders he met with in Columbia, is still shaky. In 18 months The Citadel’s state appropriation has been cut almost 31%, or about $5 million. Lt Gen Rosa noted that the college has made difficult cost-cutting decisions which have positioned us to absorb the state cuts we have already taken this year, and other cuts that are likely to come.
I would like to thank the faculty and staff members who took the time to attend our latest town hall meeting. I was happy to have the opportunity, first, to reassure people that there was no bad news to deliver, and, second, to thank everyone for all their hard work on behalf of The Citadel.
If you attended the campus town hall meeting on 17 September 2009, I hope that you found it informative, especially as we all work hard every day to manage in today’s difficult economic climate. (If you click here, you will see the slides we used during the meeting reflecting the state of the budget and our direction.)
During the Town Hall meeting in January I talked about the fact that any further cuts to this year’s budget would result in a furlough. Unfortunately, we now face that reality, and I am announcing a two-day furlough for all Citadel employees.
About 350 faculty and staff members joined me at a town meeting in Buyer Auditorium on 13 January to discuss the impact of the state budget cuts on The Citadel. I was pleased that many cadets attended as well – the meeting was a leadership opportunity to see how the college is managed and how difficult decisions are made.
Welcome back to campus. I hope you had the chance to refresh and reenergize yourselves during the holiday break, because you are essential to our success. A college is only as good as the people who provide the educational and other services essential to its operation.
Every day seems to bring more bad economic news. The state Board of Economic Advisors has projected the state will take in about $1 billion less than expected to fund a $7 billion state budget. The state Budget and Control Board directed another seven percent be cut from the budgets of state agencies for the rest of this fiscal year.
Budget News 
