Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Budget Recommendation Committee met Friday to hear enrollment and committee updates and to discuss the budget process.
Enrollment update
As of Tuesday:
- This fall’s total undergraduate, state-funded, full-year, full-time-equivalent enrollment is 2,378, which is 7.3% lower than last fall at the same point in time (16 weeks before start of term).
- Total undergraduate-student head count is 6,784, which is 6.2% lower than last fall at the same point in time.
- Graduate fiscal-year FTEs are down 7.1% for this fall from last fall at the same point in time.
- Total graduate-student head count is 800, which is 5.1% lower than last fall at the same point in time.
- This summer’s total undergraduate, state-funded, full-year, full-time-equivalent enrollment is 10.8% lower than last summer at the same point in time (six weeks before start of term).
- This summer’s total graduate full-year full-time-equivalent enrollment is 0.5% lower than last summer at the same point in time.
Compensation Subcommittee weighs flat dollar versus percentage increase
The subcommittee’s current focus is to advocate for increases in compensation, factoring in costs for College and University Professional Association adjustments for promotions, and to bring salaries for the lowest-paid employees up to $45,000 annually. While the group is aiming for across-the-board increases, members are still determining the merits of a flat dollar-amount increase vs. a percentage increase. The group is developing a polling tool to gather faculty and staff feedback and will make a final decision informed by this data at its next meeting this month.
Board of Trustees Special Finance Committee approves tuition and fee increases
Trustees approved the proposed 2% tuition increase and the recommended 5% increase to four select fees. Trustees also approved the Phase I budget, which includes mandatory obligations. Watch for more in the June 2-3 board meeting.
Matt Ceppi introduction
Members also welcomed budget consultant Matt Ceppi. He has worked extensively in higher-education systems and in the accounting field. He has helped numerous institutions improve their budget processes and strategies to better use finite resources. He has worked with MSU Denver over the past couple of years to examine and identify opportunities to increase enrollment, better engage all campus constituency groups, solidify budget priorities and examine tactics that are and are not working. Ceppi will work with the BRC, senior leaders, deans and others over the summer to understand budget pain points and build new and better budgeting processes.
The Budget Recommendation Committee will next convene on Friday, May 20 at 10:00 a.m.