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Eastern Gateway braces for cuts
By Denise Dick
LIBERTY
Ohio’s bleak economic forecast means cuts for Eastern Gateway Community College, and it may trickle down to higher tuition.
James McGrail, vice president of business services and treasurer, said EGCC will see a $300,000 reduction in state funds this fiscal year. Additional cuts are expected in the next two years, McGrail said at a trustees meeting Wednesday at the Valley Center, in a building at Forum Health Northside Medical Center.
“It has nothing to do with who the governor is,” he said.
No matter who is in the governor’s mansion, Ohio’s economic difficulties would be the same, the treasurer said.
“To expect higher education to continue to escape the ax would be foolhardy,” McGrail said.
James Baber, EGCC’s executive director for academic and student affairs, presented trustees with the college’s tuition history as well as comparisons with that of other institutions.
“This is for discussion in the future about fees and tuition,” he said.
EGCC’s per-credit-hour cost is $93 for the 2010-11 academic year, so a full-time student will pay about $2,900 for tuition in a year.
No increase, however, was proposed at Wednesday’s meeting.
“This is for future consideration,” Baber said.
John T. Gilmore, board vice chairman, said that because EGCC doesn’t yet know it’s financial future, he doesn’t think it’s appropriate to talk about a tuition increase.
In other business, President Laura Meeks introduced Lora Marie Comichisto, EGCC’s first graduate in the expansion area.
The Cortland resident who is originally from Indiana, earned her associate-of-arts degree in early childhood teacher education in the fall semester.
Comichisto transferred in 46 hours from Depauw University in Indiana and Youngstown State University and started studying at Eastern Gateway in spring 2010.
Comichisto said she started school at Depauw and completed her student teaching but then got married and didn’t return to school the following year.
While she doesn’t regret anything that she’s done, she is grateful to the EGCC staff for working with her to help her earn her degree. Comichisto is now pursuing a bachelor’s.