Good News Shared at 2013-14 Budget Meeting

June 18, 2013

It's definitely a good thing when clapping is heard from within the confines of a budget meeting.

That was the case Monday afternoon at the Fine Arts Hall as Santa Fe College president Dr. Jackson Sasser announced that there would be no tuition increase for students and a college-wide employee salary increase.

"Appreciation for Students"

According to Sasser, Santa Fe College was authorized to increase tuition up to 8 percent; however, he said they're proposing a 0 percent increase. Sasser also said that, although no tuition increase is proposed, a slight increase in student fees are likely.

Yet, even with an increase of fees, Santa Fe College will still have lower fees than most other colleges in the state of Florida. Currently, SF has the third lowest fees with a 2012-13 average of $76.54 fee per credit hour. There are 25 colleges with higher fees than SF.

"Appreciation for Employees"

In keeping with his long-term commitment of increasing salaries for SF employees, Sasser has recommended several pay increases for full-time, part-time, adjunct, and TempForce employees:

Full-time Employees - A recurring 5 percent increase effective July 1, 2013 for 12-month employees and August 20, 2013 for 9-month employees. This pay increase will be added to the employee's 2012-13 base salary.

Part-time Employees - Up to a 3 percent increase on 2012-13 hourly rates for part-time professional/career service employees, effective with fall 2013 reappointments.

Adjunct Employees - A 3 percent increase for adjunct employees, raising the pay from the current rate of $2,001 to $2,061 per 3 credit-hour course.

'TempForce' Employees - Any salary adjustment is at the department's discretion but cannot be greater than 3 percent.

Additional resources and information can be found at the Office for Finance website.