As the UA continues to wrangle with how to handle its forced budget reeducations, UA South is trying to cut costs and increase enrollment in the midst of its own budget crisis.
Gerald Jubb, associate vice president and dean of UA South, said the campus is doing a variety of things to reduce overhead, including layoffs, moving buildings and using technology.
UA South has laid off five staff members, effective May 29, Jubb said.
“”University South is small enough to be a family,”” so they care about those who were laid off, Jubb said. The university is helping the people who were laid off find different jobs within the UA, but he said there were no guarantees.
Although staff members have been cut, no programs have been eliminated because of the tightening of the budget, Jubb said.
UA South has also reduced costs by buying paper products in advance, he said. The campus has stocked up on enough paper products to last through next year.
“”A small savings … is a big savings to us sometimes,”” he said.
UA South is being more strategic about how they use their space, as well. They stopped leasing a building in downtown Douglas, Ariz. and have taken a cheaper lease with Cochise Community College, also in Douglas, Jubb said. It’s also possible that UA South might move entirely out of a building in Sierra Vista.
One proposed solution is to shift toward more online classes, which would help limit the number of buildings the university uses, Jubb said.
Technology is important to UA South, not just in reducing costs, but also in reaching students, he said. UA South tries to serve students by using Web cams and Independent Television to broadcast classes to students.
ITVs are located at four UA South campuses and they allow students to attend class at whichever campus is closest to them, Jubb said.
“”(There are) a lot of ways to make the online class very progressive and good for the student lifestyle,”” Jubb said.
Not only is the number of online classes growing at UA South, but the number of students is growing as well, he said.
Fall 2005 was the largest student body in the recent history of UA South, with 496 full-time students, Jubb said. The UA South currently has 431 full-time students.
Jubb said they’ve had “”tremendous”” registration numbers and will possibly be back to fall 2005-size by this fall.
UA South could “”perhaps have (the) largest student body ever and we’re doing (it) with reduced resources,”” he said.
With growing class sizes and a reduced budget, Jubb said they’re looking into making class sizes larger, along with the university-wide tuition increase.
UA South has 14 bachelor’s and two master’s degrees that serve typically non-traditional students, he said.
Most students “”have a family, have kids, put a meal on the table, then come to class in the evening,”” Jubb said. The bachelor’s programs only offer the last two years, so many students transfer from community colleges.
Many students are in the military or are spouses of someone in the military,
Jubb said.
Along with non-traditional students, many UA main campus students attend classes at the UA Science and Technology Park in Tucson, 9040 S. Rita Rd., if the class isn’t offered at the main campus, Jubb said.
Although tuition increases may make it difficult for many students to continue their education at UA South, Jubb said he hopes all the students will come back in the fall semester.
