Difficult Times Will Bring Out the Best in Us

These are unsettling times for all Americans.

In our lifetimes, we have not seen anything like the current economic turmoil. But we at Germanna Community College must be at our best during difficult times. Our Commonwealth and indeed our Nation count on community colleges to retrain workers and help the economy recover. Our citizens and communities count on Germanna to continue to be a place of hope even more so in a time of uncertainty and fear.

Together, we will get through this time. We will help reinvigorate our communities. And we will do our best to take care of each other—our students, our faculty and staff.

The national economy has affected Virginia's long pattern of growth. Even before the economic crisis of the last two weeks, the College faced a cut in state funding of 5, 10 or 15 percent. Revenues from sales and other taxes are down dramatically from even the reduced projections made last spring.

The college’s budget is approximately $22 million, with a little more than half coming from the state general fund, and most of the rest tuition and fees. A 5 percent cut would mean a loss of almost $600,000 in funding; a 10 percent cut, almost $1.2 million; and a 15 percent cut, almost $1.8 million. This would come out of the current budget in the middle of our fiscal year and would continue into the future.

To give some perspective, Germanna faced an 8 percent cut in 2004. This year’s cut will come on top of last year’s cut of 4% or over $400,000.

We’re going to do everything we can to protect our students and protect our people. We won’t be able to protect everything. If the cuts are more than 5-7 percent, we will be forced to make some hard choices and reduce some programs and services.

But rest assured that this airplane is going take off and land safely, even if the ride gets bumpy along the way. The greatest danger would come if we were to pull in, curl up in a ball, and ignore the future.

Germanna has to be as ready as we can for the influx of people seeking retraining now. We also have to plan for a future when growth in the economy, in the population, in the number and kind of businesses, in the needs from the many increase demands on us to provide quality and accessible opportunities for education and training.

Some might say we should forget about the third building at our Fredericksburg Area Campus, that we need money for other things now, or that we should delay opening centers in Stafford and Caroline counties and planning for a new nursing building at our Locust Grove Campus.
That would be a mistake.

First of all, the bond monies approved by the Assembly last year can only be used for building our third building. If we hesitate or cannot raise the over $2.6 million in local funding, we lose $25 million in funding from the state.

Second, the $300,000 generously committed by the Stafford Economic Development Authority for a leased center in North Stafford can only be received for that purpose.

Third, and most important, we cannot forestall investing in our future because times are tough, making the excuse that we need money for other things now. We would mortgage too much of our future. We must prepare for the time when things turn around. We must be ready now for the need that is already present in our communities—the need to better prepare our citizens for the new economy and full participation in community life. We must help train the health care workers for an increased number of hospitals and to fill positions vacated as a generation of nurses retires.

We must do all that we can so that we do not shut doors in our students’ faces and hamper our area’s economic recovery.

We can’t deny how tough it will be. But neither can we lose hope. Our whole business is the business of hope.

It will take all of us, but we can and will find a way through these tough times. We will seek new partnerships and new support from donors and grants. We will look for ways of being more efficient. We will draw closer to each other to work together, to support each other, and to support our students.

And we’ll be stronger for it.

Tough Times - But We Are in the Business of Hope

To Our Community:

We are all very much aware of the economic uncertainty we face whether here in our corner of Virginia, across the nation, or indeed across the globe. All of us watch our bank accounts and investments nervously. Many of our citizens face layoffs or reduced hours.

Even before these recent problems, many of our citizens looked across a global marketplace and realized they did not have the knowledge, skills and experience to successfully compete for jobs. They turn to community colleges for those skills and that knowledge. Retraining offers an opportunity for new careers and a more prosperous future. Retraining may also be a necessity as jobs go away to be replaced by new, higher skill employment.

Your support of Germanna Community College is more important than ever during this time of economic uncertainty.

Moreover, employers need a workforce with the skills for the future. Local communities wishing to attract new business and industry also need a high-skilled citizenry. We ignore the global economy at our peril. China, India and many other developing nations are investing in infrastructure and new business the way and at a speed of 19th Century American. They know that building competitive and quality higher education is part of that investment in infrastructure. New colleges and universities are being poured in concrete at an amazing rate.

Meanwhile, even before the recent economic slowdown, Germanna’s enrollment was surging at a record pace. Last year, Germanna was the fastest-growing community college in Virginia. At the same time, we were confronted with a forced reduction in revenue due to the state budget shortfall, and face the likelihood of further cuts in the coming year. And yet, during these tough economic times, we can expect the pace of our growth to accelerate as even more people turn to us for affordable education and training. They turn to us as a place of hope, a place to find their dreams and get the knowledge and skills to attain those dreams.

Germanna must grow to meet these needs, and the needs of an increasing population that will continue to flourish once the economy begins to grow again. We must grow to continue to give hope to those who are most hurt by the economic downturn. We must grow to meet the needs of business and our communities.

Because of this perfect storm of trends, Germanna’s Fall Appeal for your help carries a new sense of urgency. Your support of our efforts to serve our communities and students is more important than ever. We offer a brochure that gives a fuller description of the kinds of needs we have, and the opportunities you have to help.

Why should you give at a time when you yourself may be feeling the pinch?

• Because this is a critical time to invest in the future of our young people, in those in the workforce who need to be retrained to compete globally, and in the quality of our citizenry and level of their civic engagement that make our communities what they are.
• Because both major presidential candidates say community colleges must play a key role if America is to remain competitive in the world economy.
• Because Germanna’s total enrollment may reach 14,000 this coming year. For 2007-2008, the college had 8,500 students enrolled in credit courses and about 4,500 in Workforce training.
• Because in tough times it is even more important that we help our communities remain competitive in a changing global business economy by keeping workforce skills on the cutting edge and by working with local economic development officials to help attract new employers.

Germanna, your community college, is up to the challenge. We have renewed our purpose and move forward with vigor, excitement, and innovation, adding to our 38-year history of success and service.

We have recommitted Germanna to serving as the region’s leader and preferred partner providing excellence in accessible educational opportunities and related services to our communities. We are determined that our learning experiences produce well-rounded citizens who are positive forces in their communities.

As I said last April in my inaugural address, “Founded during the great expansion of community colleges during the 1960s, Germanna’s mission is to be one of what some have called Democracy’s Colleges. We seek to enable all citizens in our service area to fully participate in the intellectual, political, social, cultural and economic life of our communities and to provide an educated and prepared workforce for our region and the global economy.”

Please help us in celebrating our past, and in making the area’s future brighter than ever, by giving to our 2008 Fall Appeal. You may designate a gift to honor a relative or friend or a favorite faculty member, fund a scholarship, or support an individual program. For a certain level of donation, you may have a portion of or an entire building named for someone.

You can help students like Angela Sawyer, who grew up in a family of 10, believing college was out of her financial reach. Our affordability and flexible schedules allowed her to work, take care of her son, and earn a degree at the same time. The 2008 graduate says that, “Because of Germanna, I became the person I always dreamed I could be, and I‘m able to pursue the career I desire.”

And you can help students like 2008 graduate Jacquelene Whelchel, who is transferring to a university after earning her associate’s degree. “I was raised by a single mother and I understand wanting to succeed, yearning to be something when sometimes everything and … everyone’s actions around you tells you that you can’t,” Jacquelene says.

Your donation will not only allow students like Angela and Jacquelene to reach their potential, it will have a ripple effect on the local economy and the quality of life in our area. It will help us continue in our business of hope.

We appreciate your continued support and we look forward to working with you to make our communities more competitive, more prosperous, and more fulfilling places to live.

Thank you,

David A. Sam