Taxpayer support for Binghamton University has dropped $24 million from a support base of $52.5 million since the 2007-08 fiscal year, but BU administrators are trying to find ways to work with the difference.

James Van Voorst, BU’s vice president for administration, said that the decrease in state taxpayer support has challenged the University’s mission to continue providing affordable, high-quality education.

‘Over the last few years, there’s been an increase in tuition that has been offset,’ Van Voorst said. Though tuition has been increasing, tuition assistance programs have increased as well.

Van Voorst felt that the University’s budget issues do need to be proactively addressed, adding that he believed SUNY was extremely well-positioned to take strong leadership roles to maintain its quality of education.

‘Certainly, the campus is looking at other options at other revenue streams to generate the revenue to provide services to the University,’ he said. ‘You can’t just look to tuition to carry the ball for cost increases; it is one part, but not all.’

According to Van Voorst, the budget reductions from declining taxpayer support have affected almost every department, with the particular exception of the ‘academic core’ of faculty, adjunct professors, scholarships and stipends within the University’s academic affairs division.

BU is made up of five separate divisions: academic affairs, administration, external affairs, research and student affairs.

‘We have a very strong core and base of faculty, students and staff,’ Van Voorst said. ‘When we allocate budget percentages to our different departments, we do not get to assess the amount that goes toward academic affairs ‘ because of the budget cuts.’

The academic affairs division has received $93 million during the 2009-10 fiscal year, with $64 million of that amount set aside for the academic core, Van Voorst said.

In addition to taxpayer support, Van Voorst stated that some ways BU also receives financial support are from research programs, gifts and donations, operations and by renting space.

According to David Belsky, special assistant for strategic communications at SUNY Central, the entire SUNY system has also been confronted by similar budget problems, which began in 2007.

‘We have lost $674 million over the last three years, which is over 30 percent of our operating budget,’ Belsky said.

Belsky said, however, that every campus and entity within New York State was susceptible to budget cuts.

According to Van Voorst, the University has cut costs by urging students and faculty to conserve energy, which resulted in less electricity being used on campus compared to five years ago.

Other savings, however, have been achieved through cutting services.

‘What I would point out is that where we would have two cleaners, we might only have one,’ he said.

Higher education is one of New York State’s jewels, Van Voorst said, and that students should raise concerns to keep it that way.

‘The campus’ mission to you is to further your education and give you the experience ‘ and challenges to further your life,’ he said. ‘Be involved, be active and be vocal for quality higher education in [New York State].’