Boschini plans to cut costs
By Crystal Forester
Staff Reporter

Chancellor Victor Boschini and his cabinet appear headed toward cost-cutting measures to tuition assistance and health and insurance benefits that could save the university about $600,000 annually.

TCU can save about $340,000 per year by raising the employment experience needed before dependent children can receive 100 percent tuition assistance, and by cutting temporary employee benefits, TCU can save about $140,000 per year, said John Weis, assistant vice chancellor of human resources.

TCU could also save about $100,000 annually by not providing full tuition reimbursement to dependent children of TCU faculty or staff members who attend another Texas college, Michael Scott, director of scholarships and financial aid, said at the Faculty Senate meeting Sept. 4. The university currently reimburses faculty or staff members if the children don’t meet TCU admission requirements, Scott said.

The recommended changes to the tuition assistance policy are waiting approval by the chancellor and his cabinet and were taken to the retirement, insurance and benefits committee, which advises administration on these issues, Aug. 28.

Manfred Reinecke, co-chairman of the RIB committee, said the committee made some suggestions and modifications, but overall the RIB committee agrees with the recommendations that were made.

“The Vice Chancellor (Carol Campbell) presented a convincing case that cuts have to be made somewhere,” said Reinecke, professor of chemistry. “You’re never overjoyed when losing benefits, but there has to be a trade-off for other things.”

The RIB committee was concerned there would not be enough time to prepare employees for the changes, Weis said.

“To give faculty and staff notice, the recommendations would not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2004,” Weis said. “If the dependent is a junior in high school by 2005, they could still get their tuition paid.”

Nadia Lahutsky, Faculty Senate chair, declined to comment on specific recommendations.
“It’s a no-win situation, there will be changes made,” Lahutsky said. “We hope to implement these recommendations with as little adverse affect on faculty and staff (as possible).”

Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs William Koehler said at the Faculty Senate meeting that Boschini and his cabinet are still discussing when the cutoff date would be to allow dependents to participate in the current tuition assistance policy.

David Grebel, Staff Assembly chair, said the Staff Assembly is most concerned with this proposal because they want to ensure dependent students have an opportunity to get an equivalent education.

“I am confident the administration is listening and is going to listen to the recommendations that we made,” Grebel said.

As an alternative for dependent students, the Tuition Exchange Program allows them to apply with more than 500 institutions nationally and receive a scholarship from the institution if they are accepted, Scott said.

“We acquire dependent students from other schools, and they take our dependent students if they meet admission requirements,” Weis said.

It is also recommended that after one year of employment, 50 percent of TCU tuition could be waived, and after three years of employment, 100 percent of tuition could be waived, Weis said.

Eliminating all benefits to temporary employees if they are hired after Jan. 1, 2004 is another recommendation, Weis said.

Koehler said the cabinet has not discussed the impact changing the policies will have on hiring new employees in the future.

“This is an important benefit in terms of employees coming to TCU,” Weis said. “We still feel the new policy is a very good incentive to potential employees.”