Government Meeting 2/3: Marshall University Faculty Senate

The Marshall University faculty senate meeting focused on information from an annual report by University President Stephen Kopp, including employee compensation within the university budget and education reform within the state government Thursday afternoon.

Dr. Stephen Kopp, president of the university, showcased a powerpoint that displayed Marshall’s operating expenditures and the amount of the money that goes to the university's employees for salary and benefits. The report showed that 62 percent of the operating expenditures goes to this cause. 

The report also showed that Marshall employs more full professor ranked positions than most or all of the other universities accounted for by the SREB. Other positions include associate professors and assistant professors. These positions are typically divided into thirds in other institutions. 

Another important issue Kopp discussed was possible solutions for budget cuts Marshall will be directly effected by included in a education bill currently being edited in the House of Representatives. 

This bill would account for a 8.94 percent reduction in funding for 4-year institutions, such as Marshall, which would effect things such as scholarships, grants and tuition cost for future and current students. The budget cut would account for a $6.5 million loss for Marshall, and $1.2 for the medical school alone.

A solution Kopp brought up was a tax increase on pop and alcohol. Currently, the state of W.Va. imposes a 1 cent tax on every container of pop sold in the state. The tax brings in close to $16 million for just one university in the state, which does not include Marshall. Kopp stated his advocacy for a bipartisan bill that would increase this tax on pop and perhaps even include alcohol to generate revenue for the state and to benefit all of W.Va.’s higher education institutions. 

Kopp also stated his distress that a consequence of budget cuts would unfortunately be a raise in tuition. A $730 raise in tuition would be the smallest amount necessary to compensate for the loss in funding.

Kopp concluded his presentation with a call to action to senate members to help him in his efforts to find a solution to the budget cut that would not impose a raise in tuition.

The meeting concluded after some questions and comments from the audience and senate members and some summary reports from the AFC, Library Commitee and Dean Steve Hensley. The faculty senate will meet again on Thursday April, 25.