20k Enrollment by 2020

[VNova]

The university is trying to reach 20k enrollment for 2020, which puts us in the position to overtake UNCG by the middle of the next decade as the #5 largest public university in the state. For some fun, and because we all know about how bad the appropriations per student are for our university, I did up the post below.

These are the only other universities in the system close to our student population, based on 2019 enrollment, with their appropriations per student (based on 2018 numbers) for all students.

NC State - 36k
Chapel Hill - 29.8k
Charlotte - 29.6k
East Carolina - 28.7k
Greensboro - 20.2k
App State - 19.3k
Wilmington - 17.5k

NC State - $13.5k
Chapel Hill - $16.9k
Charlotte - $9,376
East Carolina - $11.6k
Greensboro - $9,381
App State - $7,764
Wilmington - $9,081


Here are the lowest 5 schools appropriations per student:

1. App State: $7,764
2. NC A&T: $8,308
3. UNCW: $9,081
4. UNCC: $9,376
5. UNCG: $9,381


In short, the basic data shows what everyone knew.

Some fun bits of math: if appropriations per student matched NC A&T, our budget from the state would increase by $10.9 million. If it matched Greensboro (our match in student attendance at the moment), it would increase by $32.3 million. Just to show the disparity between us and CH, it would increase our budget by $182.7 million if we had the same appropriations per student.

Fun Facts: UNCA has $11.3k per student and WCU has $9,778. WSSU is at $13.5k.

What should we do with this information? Complain loudly and often to the Legislature and to the university's administration to attempt to affect some change. It's an absolute crock that a university of our size is funded so poorly in the UNC System.

Resources:
https://www.northcarolina.edu/sites/def ... -17-18.pdf
https://www.wataugademocrat.com/news/ap ... d6d49.html

[BeauFoster]

Really what we need to do is find everyone in charge of appropriations, and bombard them with requests to increase the funding via phone, email, and letter. Then, if they do not make good, we need to back candidates who will help force change. The App alumni base in NC is large enough to influence elections - not just in the western part of the state. There has to be more that we can do besides just call this out on social platforms, right?

[darring21]

This is controlled by the Board of Governors of the UNC system. Although, our legislature could mandate or pressure change.

[Mjohn1988]

And we still have one of the lowest tuition rates

[mikeyosef]

Wow, this is a striking difference. I'd like to understand how they came up with those figures. They had to use logical reasoning at the time but what kind of reasoning would put us at the bottom of the list. The fact that our tuition is one of the lowest in the system doesn't make sense based on the state's support per student. There has to be more to this than bias against our great institution.

Regardless, this issue seems worthy of considerable attention at all levels but mainly from Alumni in the state.

[darring21]

This formula has been in place for many years (20+) and App administration has been trying to get it changed for just as long. If we get a larger piece of the pie, others get less. So, it is really difficult to get changed. The Board of Governors is dominated by UNC and NC State alums.

[Yosef84]

I would have to question the assumption that they "had to use logical reasoning at the time."

[VNova]

This formula has been in place for many years (20+) and App administration has been trying to get it changed for just as long. If we get a larger piece of the pie, others get less. So, it is really difficult to get changed. The Board of Governors is dominated by UNC and NC State alums.

This is part of the push.

The voting make up of the Board by Undergrad alumni is

ECU: 1 (the Chair)
Carteret Community College: 1 (The Vice Chair)
UNC-CH: 7 (Secretary included)
NCCU: 1
UNC-P: 1
App State: 1 (C. Philip Byers, who earned a masters from WCU)
Wake Forest: 3 (including 1 Emeritus)
The Citadel: 1
NCSU: 5 (including 1 student who is a Senior)
Wellesley College: 1
University of Tennessee: 1
UNC-W: 1
Northeastern University: 1
University of Wyoming: 1

For Graduate School (People with multiple grad schools are represented, so numbers won't be 24):

Medical College of Virginia: 1
UNC-C: 1
Wake Forest: 2
Georgetown: 1
UNC-CH: 6
Duke: 1
UVA: 1
NCCU: 1
Campbell: 1
Harvard: 1
UNC-G: 1
Golden Gate University: 1
Western Carolina: 1
Pfeiffer: 1


Current board terms end in either 2021 or 2023. The push has to be for better representation of alumni in the UNC System and those that take issue with the widening gap between UNC-CH/NCSU and the rest of the system.

When half the board is UNC-CH or NCSU, it's no wonder the status quo has remained and prevents other public schools from receiving a larger share of state-appropriated funds. Think about the schools that aren't represented as well: Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State, UNC-A, NC A&T. 5/12 universities effectively don't have a voice that can speak to their respective institutions as alumni.

[Afreeman]

So who should we contact?

[APPdiesel]

So...who do we need to email?

[VNova]

So...who do we need to email?

General Assembly Members. They elect the members. Half are nominated by the Senate, and half are nominated from the House, and then both chambers vote on their appointment.


Here is the list. Coincidently, it include email, phone number, and their office:

https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/ContactInfo/H (House)

https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/ContactInfo/S (Senate)

These members are App State Alumni or Professors:

Sen Danny Britt
Sen Ralph Hise
Sen Sam Searcy
Sen Joyce Waddell

Rep Kevin Borbin
Rep Josh Dobson (attended)
Rep Jeffrey Elmore
Rep Destin Hall
Rep Kelly Hastings
Rep Ray Russell (App State Professor/Rays Weather Founder)
Rep Evelyn Terry