WINONA, Minn. – After years of budget-trimming, Winona State now is near a “breaking point,” said university President Scott Olson. With a $4 million to $5 million deficit this year, academic programs may need to be dropped, he said. Olson president since 2010, has seen dropping programs as a last resort as enrollment and revenue have declined. Now, in an KIMT interview, Olson said: “We are reaching kind of a almost a breaking point where the next steps would have to be a reduction in the number of programs we offer.” Olson didn’t name the most vulnerable programs. Last year the journalism program was scrubbed, but Olson was careful to say at the time that the program was “suspended,” not dropped. The fact, however, is that it’s almost impossible to resurrect a program when no faculty are left and all the students have switched to other programs.
Earlier: WSU president on navigating new realities
Earlier: It’s -30- for WSU journalism; axed in budget crisis
Short-term rescue
A bill is active in the state Legislature to give a one-time infusion of funds to the Minnesota State colleges system of which Winona State is part. The bill is sponsored by Representative Gene Pelowski, a Winona Democrat. The bill would provide one time funding for structural deficits at public colleges throughout the state It also would provide funding for operations and maintenance on condition that colleges freeze tuition for two years. The Pelowski bill cleared one House committee last week and is moving on through the legislative process. Long term, Pelowski would like to see a return to state funding at its historic two-thirds of t state college budgets. State funding has slipped gradually to 50% over 20 years as education has lost its historic Minnesota priority as socially and economically.
Olson. WSU almost at financial “breaking point” to maintain its academic programs. The university has 200-plus majors and programs. Some, he says, may be deleted in next steps of constriction.