In the battle to raise diversity, integrate the core, and retain competitive faculty, Fairfield has one main monetary ally: your tuition.
On March 22, 2007, the Fairfield board of trustees approved a $137 million University budget, a $6.6 million increase from the previous year.
Deciding the budget is an arduous process, one that begins in the fall with an open hearing on campus and meetings with various department heads.
It continues with weekly meetings of a budget committee comprised of representatives of the vice presidents, faculty and students that continues throughout January and March, and culminates with approval by the board of trustees.
The board actually approves the budget three times throughout the year as a result of minor changes that are continually being implemented, first in March, followed by July and lastly in October.
Few parts of the budget are discretionary; a set amount must go to financial aid, and there are bills that, in the end, must be paid. However, there are additional funds, and it is deciding where that money goes that constitutes many of the budget discussions.
Deciding who and what gets funding is often based on priorities. This year, they included both raising diversity on campus and furthering the strategic plan, which includes integrating the core, the Jesuit principles of learning and living, and furthering graduate studies and continuing education.
To help achieve these goals, a substantial increase of $3 million to the financial aid fund has been put in place to aid students of both socio-economic backgrounds and ethnic diversity.
Mike Ambrosio ’08 lauded the decision.
“Diversity is obviously something lacking on campus and, as a result, students lack differing views both inside and outside the classroom,” he said. “It’s great that Fairfield is being proactive about the situation, instead of just using diversity as a talking point.”
In addition to the financial aid fund, approximately $1.3 million has been allocated for various programming and positions regarding the strategic vision.
A portion of this funding is directed to the Center for Academic Excellence, which is a main aspect of the goal of integrating the core.
Robeyn Torasyan, associate director of the Center, said, “[The Center] directs most of our efforts towards the goals of helping students integrate their learning across all their courses and applying such learning to personal, professional and civic life.”
In addition, Torasyan credits administrative support for the Center’s success.
“Thanks to marked and continued support by campus leaders, we’re having some success already and look forward to much more exciting work ahead,” she said.
Katie Neugebauer ’08 agreed about the importance of funding the strategic vision.
“I think programs like integrating the core will improve all students’ academic experiences,” she said.
While the financial aid fund and strategic plan earmarks are changes from the 2006-2007 budget, one substantial aspect of the budget remains from year to year: The importance of faculty compensation.
To both attract and retain distinguished faculty, Fairfield must fund competitive compensation.Faculty and administrative salaries and benefits comprise 58 percent of the budget.
The 2007-2008 budget saw an increase of 3.9 percent, or $2.9 million, for continuing faculty; $1.8 million was allocated for new positions.
This increase is part of Fairfield’s desire to remain within the 95th percentile for faculty compensation, decided by rankings by the American Association of University Professors.
According to economics professor Phil Lane, faculty raises are not only important but essential, due to the cost of living
“In the past years, faculty raises have fallen below the rate of inflation,” he said. Therefore, increases in compensation are necessitated for each yearly budget.
However, a monumental problem for the budget committee is what actually comprises a majority of Fairfield’s revenue: student tuition, which – paired with room and board – makes up approximately 90 percent of the budgetary funds.
Thus, the committee must continually balance programs they both wish to, and need to, fund with keeping tuition increases as low as possible.
“Given the market, our tuition and financial aid [the budget committee] decides what would be an ‘appropriate’ tuition increase,” said William Lucas, vice president of finances. “For example, the tuition has been raised less in the past three years than it has historically.”
When announcing the budget, University President Fr. Jeffrey von Arx recognized the tuition increases but said that “affordability for students and their families” remains an integral part of Fairfield’s mission.
Some students, however, said they wish that lowering tuition – and not programs such as the strategic vision – would be the budget committee’s priority.
“I personally think that keeping tuition as low as possible is more important and beneficial than some of what the budget is funding, like integrating the core,” said Lauren Wood ’08.
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