8: Budget
Increase Budget to support services Other Information:
Augustana recently articulated the following vision statement for the institution: “Augustana will be one of the premier church-related
colleges in America.” One of the institutional indicators, as the college works towards this goal, is that of a strong and
appropriately funded library. Inflation for library materials has long been higher than that of other goods and services.
The library’s flat or minimal budget increases (2-3%) have resulted in a budget dependent on gifts from Library Associates
memberships and a steadily declining book budget. Although the library provides media support for classroom instruction, there
has never been funding for equipment as part of the library budget. Library Associates funds have been used to make equipment
purchases. With those funds being needed increasingly to pay for ongoing subscription costs of electronic indexes and journals,
replacing outdated and broken equipment is challenging. Augustana attracts students with strong academic potential as evidenced
by their SAT/ACT scores and average GPA. In recognition of this fact, there are increased numbers of honors sections of courses
being offered by the college with plans to formalize a more comprehensive honors program. New programs, majors, and the recently
approved Civitas Honors Program will require additional library funding to ensure adequate materials are available to support
the curriculum. Librarians need to be active participants in the conversations about enhanced programs so that we can provide
appropriate support as decisions are made and programs implemented. Augustana faculty regularly research, publish, and present
within their disciplines. Both faculty and students depend on the services and resources of a strong library to support their
academic endeavors. It is essential that the library budget be increased by a minimum of 10% annually to provide sufficient
funding support to maintain collections of books, media, journals, and electronic subscriptions.
Objective(s):
|
