Dateline: February 20, 2003

CC approves new facilities

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Now is the “best of times and worst of times” for Clarendon College, says CC President Myles Shelton, paraphrasing Charles Dickens’ classic work.

Last Thursday’s meeting of the CC Board of Regents in Pampa was one of mixed emotions as the institution dealt with cuts in state funding while taking positive steps for future growth.

Reduction in force

Following an order from the state to immediately slash spending, the board accepted Shelton’s recommendation of eliminating the positions of the admissions coordinator, the counselor, a financial aid assistant, a currently vacant secretarial position in Pampa, and one part-time library position.

“Those duties will be reassigned,” Shelton said. “Two other positions were considered but were kept with the financial assistance of the CC Foundation and the CC Pampa Center Foundation.”

The reduction in force combined with spending reductions enacted February 4 allowed Clarendon College to slash spending by seven percent or $193,000 as mandated by a cut in state funding.

State officials are dealing with a revenue crisis, expecting a $1.8 billion shortfall in this current fiscal year and an estimated $8.1 billion drop in revenues over the next two years. Local officials are being told to expect additional cuts of $200,000 for next year, Shelton said. That money might be made up by increases in tuition and fees.

“It’s a shame that Texas is forcing colleges across the state to raise the cost to students,” he said. “I’ve talked to several colleges, and they are all looking at increases next year.”

But increases in tuition will not hurt Clarendon’s competitiveness in the education market. A rise of even 15 percent would not put CC’s rates above what Frank Phillips College in Borger currently charges for tuition, and FPC is also looking at increases.

“Even if we go up, it will still be affordable and still be a way for students to have an easily accessible education through Clarendon College,” Shelton said.

Enrollment increases

While the outlook for state funding looks bleak, enrollment at CC is up seven percent over last spring, and college officials are working on ways to attract more students with new programs. The Board of Regents furthered that goal last Thursday when they approved plans for a $1 million Livestock & Equine Center and for a $200,000 softball field.

The Equine Center to be built on the western edge of the home campus will house an equine program and a new intermural rodeo team as well as host the annual livestock judging contests. The softball field – for which the dirt work has already been done – will be located south of Bulldog Field. Altogether, the new programs are expected to attract a minimum of 80 new students.

Gifts fund projects

CC officials stress that the Equine Center and the softball field are being constructed with monies donated to the college. Neither involves the use of state funds, and both are considered important for the growth of the institution and because another project is already underway to support the increased enrollment.

“It is critical to approve these projects because we’ve got $2 million tied up in a new dorm,” Shelton told the regents.

The new 80-bed facility – dubbed as Regents Hall – is being constructed on the southwest side of the campus and, like the Equine Center and softball field, is expected to be completed for the fall semester. Workers have lost several days on the dorm due to poor weather, but they feel they will be able to catch up and get back on schedule.

Regents Hall is being constructed with revenue bonds, which are paid for by fees from the students who will live in the dorm itself. No local tax dollars and no state funds are being spent on the project.

New library coming

The college is also moving on another goal, which has been talked about for ten years with little action. The Board of Regents authorized the administration to issue a request for proposals for architectural services to build a new library.

The present library on the west end of the Administration Building was determined to be inadequate by the Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS) during CC’s last accreditation visit in 1994.  SACS officials will make another accreditation visit in the fall of 2005, and they have already sent a letter of inquiry regarding the library.

“When SACS came in 1994, they basically said three things,” Shelton said. “The physical facility [of the library] is not big enough for our enrollment, the collection is not large enough, and the technology in the library is inadequate.”

Shelton said the college has made progress on the last two points – increasing the number of holdings in the library and adding computer terminals and electronic databases, but the first point must still be addressed. The size of the current library also limits the number of holdings it can house.

“We’re at 4,000 sq. ft. now, and we need to be at least 8,000 to 9,000 sq. ft.”

A new library is expected to cost approximately $1.4 million and will be paid for through monies that have been donated to the college or through future gifts. Regents are considering two locations for the library – either between the Administration Building and the Harned Sisters Fine Arts Center or south of the Bairfield Activity Center.

“We want all our resources to go into the actual building,” Shelton said. “Both of those locations offer adequate parking areas already.”

The college hopes to let bids on the library this fall and then expects a construction time of 12 to 18 months.

“It’s a bad time for state funding, but it can be a good time for Clarendon College,” Shelton said. “We remain committed to providing service to our students and to serving this area. Teaching and learning are what still has to happen here.”