WCU Chancellor Dr. Kelli Brown and UNC System President Dr. William Roper address budget concerns on March 5, 2020. Photo by Ruth Dahl.
UNC System President, Dr. William Roper visited Western Carolina to tour the aging facility and address the budget impasse that continues to take its toll on the university earlier in March.
Western Carolina University’s steam plant is still running on long outdated equipment and is in major need of upgrades. The major renovation of the plant is postponed and uncertain because of the budget impasse.
The budget under discussion is currently nine months overdue. Half of the money for the steam plant upgrade has been disbursed, but it is the other half, $16.5 million, that is needed before any progress can be made. In the meantime, the outdated facility continues to run on borrowed time.
“It’s working today, but we’re one catastrophic shutdown away from having to close the university…we need to get started, because we can’t finish until we get started,” Roper said.
The construction of the steam plant upgrade will take around a year and a half, officials say.
Faculty, staff and students are feeling the strain of the budget stalemate as well. With no money for NC promise in the budget, WCU cannot continue to grow its enrollment rate or hire new faculty and staff to support the student population. As the UNC president said, WCU’s budget is over $4 million short. That is money that will allow WCU to grow its student population, but also funds for new faculty and staff positions and for much needed salary increases.
“(Faculty and staff) are continuing to work very hard, but it’s taking a toll on them,” WCU Chancellor, Dr. Kelli Brown, said. “They’ll continue to do (great work), but it’s getting harder and harder every day.”
Steam Plant boiler #2 Poster. Photo by Ruth Dahl
Roper sees the budget impasse as a consequence of political tension between Republicans and Democrats in the state legislature. He even mentioned the idea that if the general assembly cannot come up with a solution soon, they will try to get mini-budget for the UNC system.
“Our strong plea is just don’t make us collateral damage in this battle that’s happening on the political fence,” Roper said.
Roper made the comparison of the federal government’s quick appropriation of $8 billion to deal with coronavirus saying “…the same kind of unusual action needs to be taken to fix the budget problem that we’ve had so that we can continue to provide what the state depends on us for.”
