The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

My job's safe, that's all I care about.

My suggestion would be to actively attempt to increase out-of-state freshman enrollment. That would mean an increase in the number of dorm students (we still have empty rooms), and an increase in tuition. I would also suggest giving local students who barely make the cut "conditional acceptance" by stipulating they must either complete the first two years somewhere else or live on-campus and do some sort of community learning program to encourage higher GPA. Those are the students who usually don't live on campus and yield room and board fees.

With the completion of the Green, UAB will look much more attractive to out-of-state students. I can tell you that students are beginning to choose UAB over UAT because of the urban environment, newness, and serious academics.

The University of Tennessee today announced it would cut three degree programs and not fill more than 44 vacant faculty positions to trim its budget.

Alabama isn't the only state that treats education as an unwanted stepchild.

If money was already allocated from the capital campaign to finish the campus green, it's my guess that money/project is safe. However, softball parents can forget about their on-campus softball field for the moment (as long as there is a written, future plan for the construction of a softball field, budget cuts by the System buy the athletic dept time re: the Title IX issue).

The AEA (AL Education Association), who serves K-12 public ed, has absolutely blasted Bama, Auburn, and UAB for their part in trying to get an extra $25 mil for the higher ed budget (apparently Troy and other public schools aren't as high-profile to get mentioned). They have slammed UAB for raising student fees to fund the lazy river and 20-person hot tub. Bama and Auburn have been hammered for the amount of money used for athletics and funding PACs with hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight the state budget for that extra $25 mil.

Certain construction projects are funded by restricted donations. IIRC, nearly 100% of the athletics facilities projects have been and are planned to be funded by donations raised specifically for the purpose of capital improvement. They may postpone some of those projects, but they won't get cancelled outright.

The AEA is the worst thing that ever happened to education in the state of Alabama. That, and the hideously inequitable tax structure that funds the state.

Does this mean we won't have an 'on campus' football stad....?

When I worked with a school administrator in North Carolina we took some heavy abuse from the public when in the early 80's we had to lay-off some teachers and cut classes due to the state budget.
The public could not understand why we were laying off teachers but still funding a massive 100 million school building project for the arts. the parents wanted us to postpone the building project and hire back the teachers.
You could not get people to understand that the building project was a federal grant and could only be used for the purpose of building a center for the Arts. And because this was to be used in a Public School forum we did not have to have any matching funds.
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You could not get the people to understand that we would lose the money if we did not start the building within that year.
It was the closest I ever personally seen of a near riot at a school board meeting.

Do not forget our good ole boy republican governor who cut a deal with AEA that also protect the junior colleges. The no new taxes republican pledges and the business council that preserves the tax sructure which in Alabama hits the middle class and below and has below almost anywhere business taxes.

Grammar-Nazi Wrote:The AEA is the worst thing that ever happened to education in the state of Alabama. That, and the hideously inequitable tax structure that funds the state.

I would say the majority of K-12 teachers in Alabama who are members of AEA will tell you they joined for two reasons:

1a. $1,000,000 liability insurance and free legal counseling--every school has that one parent who will file a lawsuit about anything
1b. Free vision plan for all members

2. They are the only organization looking out for public teachers' salaries

Schard Wrote:I would say the majority of K-12 teachers in Alabama who are members of AEA will tell you they joined for two reasons:

1a. $1,000,000 liability insurance and free legal counseling--every school has that one parent who will file a lawsuit about anything
1b. Free vision plan for all members That and the cafeteria discount....

2. They are the only organization looking out for public teachers' salaries