IHL Board moves toward performance-based funding model for Mississippi universities
By Candice Wilder | Originally published by Mississippi Today
Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board moved one step closer Thursday to adopting a new funding model for public universities that would tie a portion of state money to graduation rates, student retention and workforce outcomes.
The 12-member board that governs the state’s eight public institutions unanimously accepted a proposal that has two main parts. The first would determine the amount of money universities need for campus operations including administrative costs, facilities, academic programs and support for student services. The second part would make state funding contingent upon university performance goals tied to state priorities.
Under the proposal, which still requires final approval by the board, universities could earn additional state dollars by improving measures such as degree completion, student retention and producing graduates that earn competitive wages. The performance metrics would vary between Mississippi’s four research universities and the four regional universities.
Trustees said the proposal would guide future budget requests to the Legislature and align student success with the state’s workforce needs. The IHL Board is expected to continue discussions of the new model during its scheduled meeting in August. It is unclear when the board will make a final decision on adopting a new funding formula.
“The acceptance of this framework will help us as we move forward in making sure our universities are providing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the Mississippi marketplace,” Steven Cunningham, president of the IHL Board of Trustees, said in a statement Thursday. “We have put a great deal of time and effort into getting to this point, bringing us closer to where we need to be with regard to a strong funding model for our universities.”
Since October, trustees have worked with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, a nonprofit higher education consulting firm, to develop a new funding model. The consulting firm gathered feedback from legislators, economic and workforce officials and university presidents to produce a report for trustees by the end of this month. The IHL board has the final say in deciding what the new formula will look like.
The IHL Board currently uses a “base-plus” formula that allows universities to receive equal state funding percentages regardless of enrollment growth or metrics around post-graduation student success.
These budget amounts are based on the prior year’s allocation. Universities submit budget requests to the Legislature each year for new programs or initiatives.
Some lawmakers have expressed concerns that a performance-based funding formula could penalize Mississippi’s historically Black universities because it doesn’t take into account the decades of underfunding or the additional challenges many students encounter in completing college.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
