The Northern Oklahoma College Board of Regents voted Feb. 15 to take action on a proposal that has been in the works for many months. The plan was in relation to reducing the FY2024 budget. The current FY2023 budget used one-time pandemic relief funds to balance the budget. As those funds are no longer available for FY2024, the college’s budget will need to be reduced by $1.5 million to balance the budget. The plan that was approved was a culmination of analyzing cost reduction strategies that were suggested by employees and strategies identified by the Executive Council.“The process to determine areas that could be cut was difficult.” said NOC President Clark Harris. “The NOC Executive Council worked diligently over the last several months to identify areas in the budget that can be reduced. We examined a vast number of suggested cost-saving and revenue generating strategies. We especially kept in mind the guiding principle to look at Reductions in Force as a last resort. The decision to discontinue programs and eliminate positions at the college were not taken lightly, as these decisions are among some of the most difficult decisions any college must make.”The NOC executive council has been meeting weekly focused solely on evaluating the current fiscal situation with the goal to manage significant reductions in the current budget while continuing to emphasize the NOC strategic goals and preserve the high quality of instruction and the college experience at Northern Oklahoma College.The budget plan was presented and approved today at the NOC Board of Regents meeting and shared with employees afterwards. Included in the plan are a combination of resignations, retirements and a limited number of Reduction In Force (RIF).“As NOC strives to be fiscally responsible. we are aware of the impact of budget cuts on all of our NOC family. The faculty and staff have come together to recommend cuts while keeping our high standards of educational experiences for our students top of mind.” said Regent Jamie Groendyke, Chair of the NOC Board of Regents. “We believe these cuts will ultimately better the financial position of the college and streamline our processes so our focus can continue to be on our students.”The proposed budget cuts and revenue generating strategies approved include: Reevaluate rental rates for all campus facilities including residence halls and rental property in Enid and Tonkawa, and meeting rooms and venues utilized from outside groups.Enforce Student Housing ...
