In what leadership is calling a “conservative approach,” the Hopkinsville Community College Board of Directors unanimously approved its budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year — which begins July 1.
Dr. Dale Leatherman, HCC’s chief business affairs officer, said the proposed unrestricted budget was set close to $18.4 million, and the proposed restricted budget was close to $11.7 million, bringing next year’s expected ledger to just north of $30 million.
In total, it’s a $582,900 reduction from fiscal year 2023, but with a few important nuances.
Leatherman said the KCTCS Board of Regents, the governing body of the state’s 16 two-year campuses, have yet to impose a tuition hike for this year — keeping the rate at $182/credit hour.
Dual credit, he added, will also remain the same, at 50% cost to the student.
Furthermore, Leatherman said full-time faculty and part-time staff may receive a mild cost-of-living raise from the KCTCS system.
Both of these items, he added, could very well change in either direction at the June convening of the KCTCS regents, but that HCC leaders were notified to have these line items already prepared and in place.
HCC’s faculty did receive a 7% raise last year with the hopes of more coming in 2023-24 to match competitive pay scales. Dr. Alissa Young, president/CEO of HCC, affirmed the pay scale as it stands is “concerning.”
The budget also includes, among many things, two specific projects for this year: the replacement of seven HVAC units in the HCC library, and the potential acquisition of key property from Christian County Public Schools.
In other HCC news:
— Per Angel Prescott, HCC’s chief student affairs officer, campus enrollment was up 99 students from this spring to last, going from 1,729 to 1,828. It’s also up two students from Spring 2021, in what seems to be early signs of stabilization, or perhaps uptick, from pandemic numbers.
— Dr. Young noted that courtesy of financial gift from “Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland” to the HCC Foundation, two paid student workers are now able to work in the Pathfinder Pantry. Before, she said emails had to be sent out seeking monthly volunteers. Furthermore, a new freezer/refrigerator has come to the food store by way of “Swiping Out Hunger,” LG Electronics and the HCC Foundation.
— HCC has been re-approved to offer financial aid by the Kentucky Department of Education, and will be re-evaluated in 2028.
— Young noted a new “skate” camp, and a new career skills pathway, will soon be on tap for HCC, as well.
— Young received a strong anonymously-shared presidential review from the Board of Directors, with eight of nine members stating she either “met” or “exceeded” expectations in multiple categories, while another ushered she was “progressing” in multiple categories. In a self-evaluation of the board, two did report dissatisfaction in fundraising and initiatives, while another noted dissatisfaction with their unused skill-set.
