FSU plan would close two buildings

Jun. 22—FROSTBURG — Two campus buildings could be closed to help reduce Frostburg State University's estimated $10.6 million fiscal 2025 budget deficit.

In a recent budget update, Al Delia, FSU vice president of Regional Development and Engagement, detailed reasons for the plan.

Delia was named FSU's acting president in November to oversee day-to-day operations while the school's president, Ron Nowaczyk, receives medical attention, Nicole McDonald, FSU assistant vice president for marketing and communications, said Thursday.

"Dr. Nowaczyk's recovery continues to progress, and he improves daily," she said. "His medical team is pleased and has encouraged him to return to university activities and responsibilities on a limited basis. They will continue to monitor his progress for a while before giving him clearance to return to the office full-time."

'Underutilized'

Delia said the school's budget group met recently to discuss specific options to address the FY 2025 financial gap.

"Several combinations of possible options were presented, and there was strong consensus among team members about which options should be adopted as we move forward," he said.

"Given that we have fewer students on campus, a new Education and Health Sciences Center that opened last year, and many aging buildings that are underutilized, we have been evaluating usage across campus to ensure that we use all our resources efficiently," Delia said. "I have made the decision to close Old Main and Guild, both of which are being underutilized."

Closing the buildings, which share mechanical systems, will save FSU between $100,000-$150,000 per year in maintenance and utility costs, he said.

The timeline to close the buildings and relocate offices and classes will be staggered.

This fall, Old Main will close, and the Guild offices will be moved but classes will continue to be held in the building until the spring semester.

"I have communicated our plans to close these buildings with our deans, who have subsequently notified the affected departments," he said. "We have identified Framptom, Lowndes and Brady as viable options to absorb Old Main's and Guild's occupants."

FSU will examine other underutilized buildings on campus to reduce the budget deficit for next year and beyond.

"I will continue to communicate with the campus community about the rollout of final decisions," Delia said.

On Friday, McDonald said the school's budget team developed a plan that will be submitted to the University System of Maryland.

"We are unable to release details until we receive approval of the plan from USM," she said.

History

According to FSU's website, Old Main was once the only building on campus and housed classrooms and a library.

"It has now grown to more than 30 facilities, including residence halls, the Lewis J. Ort Library, the Harold J. Cordts Physical Education Center, the Lane University Center, the Performing Arts Center and classroom buildings that include the Compton Science Center and the Catherine R. Gira Center for Communications and Information Technology, all situated on 260 beautiful acres," the website states.

FSU's March 2023 Facilities Master Plan Update lists the Guild building as to receive roughly $67,000 in updates as part of a $10 million facility renewal project.

Completed projects since 2018 include more than $243,000 at the Guild building, the document states.

"This Facilities Master Plan Update continues the planning principles established in the 2018-2028 Facilities Master Plan," it states and adds Old Main as a key historic structure to be preserved.

Trends

Many universities across the country have reported financial struggles over the past several months.

"Institutional debt is a common factor in a growing number of college closures and mergers," U.S. News & World Report stated last year and cited higher operating expenses and downward enrollment trends as contributing factors.

"Small private colleges are struggling to keep their doors open as declining enrollment leads to financial instability," was a CNN headline in April.

Around that time, The Hechinger Report, a national non-profit newsroom that publishes stories on education, stated "about one university or college per week so far this year, on average, has announced that it will close or merge."

Barron's in January reported college tuition rose 12% on average annually from 2010 to 2022, according to data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"After adjusting for inflation, college tuition has increased 747% since 1963," Barron's, a weekly newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, reported.

According to McKnight Associates — which specializes in human resources consulting for colleges, universities, medical centers and various organizations — inflation in 2024 poses significant challenges for higher education salaries and impacts institutions and faculty.

"While institutions are striving to adjust their financial strategies to mitigate these effects, the persistent gap between salary increases and inflation rates remains a pressing concern," the firm stated.

Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@times-news.com.