Pulaski Technical College plans to close its west campus after facing enrollment declines.
But the college's administrators assured the board of trustees on Wednesday that the closure of the campus at 8901 Kanis Road in Little Rock will not affect the courses.
"We are not closing programs down out there," said Michael DeLong, executive vice president and provost at the college. "We're just moving the facility."
The state's largest community college -- which is based in North Little Rock -- has seen an enrollment slowdown since 2011, when it had 11,946 students. The number dropped to 9,236 in fall 2014. And this spring, the college tallied some 8,321 students.
The enrollment drops have meant less revenue from student tuition and fees. It has also left the college's administrators looking for ways to cut costs while maintaining the quality of education and the support to its students.
Officials have planned for a 16 percent tuition increase beginning July 1. They've still reduced the college's budget to $46.7 million, down from about $48 million last fiscal year. And they have instituted a semi-hard hiring freeze, replacing only some faculty and staff members on an interim basis until the enrollment counts come in September.
Now, they're eyeing the west campus, the one that has historically enrolled the fewest students of the main three sites -- the main campus in North Little Rock, the south campus off Interstate 30 and the west campus.
"We've talked about this the last several years ... and the large expenditures it would take for us to continue in that building," board Chairman Ronald Dedman said. "Students are not taking any classes there as they used to."
And so, it's time to close the west campus, Dedman said.
The west campus, which first opened to students in fall 2004, can accommodate more than 1,500 students in attendance at full capacity, said Tim Jones, associate vice president for public relations and marketing. Of the 10,526 students enrolled at the college's campuses in fall 2013, some 510 were taking courses at the west campus. The next year, about 300 students were enrolled at that campus, DeLong said, adding that general education courses were taught there.
Coupled with the low enrollment, the west campus building has had many maintenance problems, officials said. The roof was replaced last year. The building, constructed in 1974, has air-conditioning problems and still is not fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, DeLong said.
The college closed the campus last summer and will again this summer. Administrators plan to close it this fall, too, as administrators find other options to serve western Little Rock. A full closure would save about $400,000 annually, said Stacey Hogue, associate vice president for finance.
So far, students and full-time faculty members at the campus have been shuffled around to the other campuses. Most of the part-time positions have been eliminated collegewide, Jones said.
Pulaski Tech President Margaret Ellibee said administrators are exploring options and will see if there is an avenue to sell the west campus, which is owned by the college.
"If that is the most cost-effective option that we have, then we need to evaluate that and bring that back to you all in August," she said. "If there's other opportunities, where for example, we could rent space in that building, then we'd do that."
Other options for a west Little Rock or west Pulaski County presence include renting another space or having access to another location, such as a local high school, she said.
"It's very fluid," Ellibee said. "The building is one thing, but we are not abandoning our programs in that area of town, in that neighborhood. We certainly want to do what's best for students, what's best for this college and certainly be accountable for our budget, too."
Metro on 06/18/2015