Financial State of UNH
By Jody Record, Campus Journal Editor
July 25, 2007
The university needs to have “hard conversations’ about
the ways it can change its revenue streams to maintain a healthy balance,
finance officials said during a forum held Tuesday on UNH’s $450-plus
million operating budget.
Dick Cannon, vice president for finance and administration and Dave
Proulx, assistant vice president for financial planning and budgeting,
provided a detailed outline of income and appropriations during the first
of two meetings aimed at providing an overview of the university’s
economic health. The second session is set for October.
UNH’s ranking as the lowest state funded four-year public institution,
escalating health insurance costs, increasing financial need of students,
maintaining facilities and a slow down in research funding are examples
of pressures the university faces, Cannon said, adding there is a need
to make an investment in fundraising.
“It becomes a question about balance,” Cannon said. “There
are tremendous demands on us to do more with less. One picture would
suggest we’re in pretty good balance but we have to be able maintain
that balance.”
He spoke of the concern regarding the amount of debt UNH students are
taking on and the reliance on the tuition dollars of non-resident students,
which accounts for 57 percent of the revenue.
“In the years ahead, we need to have conversations about keeping
our balance with the (USNH board of) trustees, with the state, “Cannon
said.
Those attending the forum asked questions related to using UNH building
and assets more fully, distance learning and the drag certain departments
place on the university.
The bottom line, Cannon and Proulx said, is that UNH has a major financial
challenge to address; the solution will require the participation of
all UNH constituents and, no single strategy can solve the problem.
The next forum takes place Oct. 23, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm in the MUB
Theatre 1.
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