Tips and Tricks:
Program Funding Challenges
By Curt Ward, Professor at Joliet Junior College
Adequate funding for automotive programs today is a challenge greater than keeping up with new technology. Funding changes at the federal and state level are creating increasingly tighter budgets for most school districts and most technology programs are not immune to the squeeze. In this article, I want to share some information in a question and response format that might help with program funding. Some of the questions can be answered with a short-term response and others are part of long-term program planning. Although automotive programs are referenced throughout the article, the same information applies to diesel and autobody programs.
Does the program have an industry advisory committee? It does not matter whether the program is accredited or not, an advisory committee is a must. The people on this committee represent companies in your district that are paying taxes that support the institution. They are also the people who are hiring the graduates of the program. The committee should be telling the program what they need in a future employee and then it should be telling the administration what the program needs to make it happen. In many instances, the administration listens more closely to the taxpayers of the district than their own employees.
Does the program conduct an annual program review? An annual program review is a comprehensive look at all areas of your program, including student success. Some of the items that might be included are program objectives and a list of the program accomplishments. Other items include a list of any donations and the associated cost savings. A labor market analysis and how the program is working to meet those needs shows program viability. The program review also includes potential curriculum changes and the equipment that would be needed to implement those changes. The program review should also include any barriers the program is facing to reach its goals.
Has an automotive technology fund been created within your institution’s Foundation office? Typically, the main purpose of a Foundation is to raise funds for the school. The creation of an automotive technology fund allows individuals or organizations to give funds, goods, and services directly to the program and receive a tax credit. Because the funds, goods, and services are directed to the program by the donor, many of the administrative roadblocks are avoided.
Does the program work directly with your school’s grant office? Grants are a great way to receive additional funding. The Federal Perkins grant is an annual grant that is administered through the state and is directed towards all technical programs. The grant requirements vary by year. There have been many green energy grants over the last couple of years. These grants have funded course development, instructor training, lab materials, vehicles, simulators, and much more. Workforce training grants are also increasingly more frequent. The materials obtained to conduct these grants can be used to support your credit programs. Additionally, search for grants that serve underserved populations. In many cases, a program may be able to obtain wrap-around funds to support student needs outside of the classroom, such as books, food, and transportation.
Does your program perform live work as part of the curriculum? Although typically there are no labor charges for live work, the parts are marked up at a modest rate, and a shop supply charge is added to each repair order. These small profit margins can be used to offset consumable costs associated with lab activities, and replacement parts that are part of repeated vehicle use. Servicing campus vehicles is a great way to begin the process. Although it does not generate any profit, it saves the district time and money, and it shows the administration the value of your program.
If the program can answer yes to all of these questions, then there are instructors who put in a lot of work after the classes are taught and the assignments are graded. Adequate program funding takes a lot of time and energy. It involves getting out into the community and making the needed connections. It also involves working with departments on campus that are not typical to the automotive program. Each of the questions requires the program to become more visible and demonstrate its value. The goal of the entire funding process is to be able to have everything you need and most everything you want!