Improvements
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Six years later:
U.S. News & World
Report
names
UD a 'best buy'
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"
ecent enhancements to the living and learning environment at the University of Delaware go far beyond bricks and mortar," says Executive Vice President David E. Hollowell. "New brick sidewalks do make the campus look better for students, parents and alumn
i, and new buildings enhance academic programs, but improving the total University environment also requires new technologies and people
committed to providing better service to students."
In keeping with that notion, a new University administration in 1990 defined four key goals, emphasizing the need to achieve:
1
a student-centered University
2 competitive compensation for all employees
3
strong support for scholarships and
4
the best possible living and learning environment for students.
From a financial perspective, the University could not have picked a more difficult time to embrace new planning objectives. Regional and national economies plunged in 1990. Like so many other states, Delaware was hit hard by the budget crunch. Co
nsequently, the University's appropriation from the State of Delaware (excluding debt service) remained modest between F.Y. 1990 and 1994, increasing by about 1.3 percent each year during the national economic downturn.
Achieving meaningful progress without creating financial hardships for students therefore required careful, conservative management of the University's operating budget. As poor economic conditions began to take their inevitable toll, University p
lanners set forth two "golden rules." First, they decided, budgetary imbalances would not be balanced on the backs of students. Second, planners pledged to keep a tight lid on extraordinary tuition increases.
In fact, the University of Delaware has controlled tuition increases better than many of its competitors. Just ask
U.S. News & World Report. Based on the University's low student/faculty ratio, high graduation rates and reasonable tuition, it was judged the nation's 37th best buy, when compared with other top-rated institutions. Also in 1996, the University
of Delaware made Money magazine's list of 25 publicly supported U.S. undergraduate schools offe
ring the best value, based on in-state tuition and fees. Want more proof? According to a study of 95 member institutions of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), almost half the sample reported higher increases
in in-state tuition and mandatory fees between 1989 and 1993. In terms of absolute dollar increases, 59 other institutions posted higher jumps in resident fees, and 63 boosted non-resident fees at a faster rate.
The University's state appropriation for F.Y. 1997 has been set at $80.2 million, or 4.3 percent more than the amount earmarked for F.Y. 1996, and 20.6 percent greater than the support awarded in F.Y. 1990. This increase is encouraging.
During the past six years, the University has worked hard to avoid tuition hikes by bolstering other revenue streams. Private support became increasingly important, and budget administrators also sought new contracts and grants when a weak nat
ional economy limited state appropriations.
At the same time, the University reduced expenditures by privatizing services and consolidating redundant functions. The result? Between F.Y. 1990 and F.Y. 1993, the University eliminated roughly $8 million in deficit spending. It also paid off ab
out $5 million in computer-hardware debts and cut recurring expenses by $32 million.
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