By Dr. Jim Minkler
Ask most any administrator in higher education, most will agree, when the economy is strong and employment is high, then enrollment numbers are down. In reverse, when the economy falters and unemployment rates go up, people flock to community colleges and universities for a fresh start, to begin a degree or vocational program, to work on new career directions or uncompleted degrees.
It is the first example that Grays Harbor College is experiencing right now. Like most of Washington’s two-year colleges, our student count has declined; in fact, our enrollment numbers have been shrinking for several years. (-3.8% this fall quarter). Even though the two counties served by GHC post among the highest unemployment numbers in the state, the overall economy and jobless rates conform to our original premise — economy goes up, enrollment goes down.
At Grays Harbor College, our approach is what all successful businesses do in lean times, reduce expenses, monitor cash reserves, and maintain focus on serving customers, which in our case is our students. We are relying on good business practices and our dedicated staff to weather this downturn in enrollment. Last spring, we reduced expenses, but unfortunately we did not have a clear reading on our budget and anticipated revenues. Therefore, we still have belt tightening to do and need to further reduce our expenses. Sadly, we are having to make serious cuts to some programs, while trying to preserve all aspects of the college that serve students. These are difficult times, as we are having to say goodbye to some treasured staff members, while others have opted to retire.
So, how do we decide where to trim expenses and how to fiscally strengthen the college?
We recently worked with all entities on campus and among our community partners to revise the GHC Vision, Mission and Strategic Priorities. These statements, adopted by our Board of Trustees in November, guide our decisions. In succinct language, our vision is “to inspire our students and enrich our community by providing positive growth through learning.” The supporting mission statement leads us “to provide meaningful and engaging learning opportunities and support services to enhance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our students and support the cultural and economic needs of our community.”
These are the guidelines we are using every day to reshape college programs and personnel, fitting into a much tighter budget and attempting not to negatively impact our offerings for students. From the outside looking in, the college is just as strong and as participatory a partner in this community as ever. In fact, with our three bachelor of applied science degrees, GHC offers even more educational pathways closer to home. More information about our Vision, Mission and Strategic Priorities is also available on the GHC website, https://www.ghc.edu/ghc-vision-mission-and-values.
I want to add a heartfelt thank you to our Coastal Caucus legislators. They have each been so supportive of GHC and Washington’s entire community college system. In a few weeks, they head back to Olympia and will deal with the state’s own unique budget situation. On the capital budget side (monies cannot be spent on programs or staffing), GHC’s new construction of a student services and instructional building, which will replace our 61-year old HUB, currently ranks No. 10 on the list of funding projects the legislators will be considering. Our project is shovel-ready, meaning once it is funded, site-preparation and construction can begin. We were hopeful last year, but were not quite high enough on the project list; we have moved up on the list and are ready to go in 2020. Thanks again to our supportive legislative team.
Later in the new year 2020, Grays Harbor College will turn 90 years old, proudly serving our community for nine decades and continuing that rich tradition for decades to come. The college remains strong, innovative and dedicated to providing educational opportunities for all far, far into the future.
Dr. Jim Minkler is President of Grays Harbor College
