CAC implements cost containment initiatives

To balance the higher education needs of Pinal County students with the remnants of a challenging economy that has impacted area taxpayers, Central Arizona College President Doris Helmich said she is tapping into the creativity of employees for cost containment ideas.

They include:

• Opening the Maricopa Campus in August but delaying the opening of the San Tan Campus until January.
• Moving to a year-round, four-day work week beginning Aug. 5 to reduce the cost of utilities, part-time wages and wear-and-tear on facilities.
• Running on these hours – during the summer months, CAC is open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Beginning Aug. 5, the district will move to an 8 a.m.-6 p.m. schedule Monday through Thursday. Evening classes will continue to be offered after regular business hours.
• Continuing Weekend College at the Corporate Center in Casa Grande, residence hall services at the Signal Peak Campus, and athletic events.
• Moving any necessary weekend staff meetings previously scheduled for the fall to one of the small centers where utility costs are much lower than a full campus. Previously scheduled evening classes will continues; there just won’t be any college services available.
• Consolidating facilities and staff. The Coolidge Center closed on June 30 with its staff relocated to areas of need at the college, while three senior-level administrative positions – the associate vice presidents for student affairs, human resources and institutional effectiveness – will not be filled.
• Reducing institutional scholarships and is re-instituting the purge for nonpayment to insure that classes are full on the first day of the semester.

***ADVERTISEMENT***On June 18, the Pinal County Community College District Governing Board approved a 28-cent increase on the assessed value of homes in Pinal County – about half the 55-cent increase CAC was requesting to operate at its current levels and fully open the two new campuses in the city of Maricopa and in the San Tan Valley.

The governing board’s decision to raise the tax rate by 28 cents still keeps CAC below the legal tax limit by more than 70 cents.

In 2008, the voters of Pinal County gave CAC an overwhelming thumbs up to move forward with expansion plans at the college; in 2013, CAC is working to complete that mandate while understanding fiscal responsibility to the taxpayer.

“We have been in a growth mode for some time, building new campuses and renovating spaces,” Helmich said. “Instead of focusing on expansion and growth, it is time for us to develop cost containing strategies to deliver quality education while providing the learning environment our students require.”