John Raney vs. Blinn College

14,934 Views | 65 Replies | Last: 8 yr ago by atm86
leathal02
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TKDMom
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As a proud Blinn-Bryan alumnus and the mother of two Blinn-Bryan students, I can tell you that I am disheartened by the way Blinn leadership has chosen to allocate funds between the Bryan and Brenham campuses. When I graduated from Blinn as a non-traditional student 11 years ago, space was already getting tight. Classrooms typically had every seat full. Over the past 10 years there has been some expansion, but the space currently being used for classrooms is terrible. Old movie theaters don't really make effective lecture halls when the climate indoors is as cold as it is outdoors.

Based on contact hours, Blinn-Brenham spends approximately $7,000/per student/per year, by contrast, Blinn-Bryan spends $3,500/per student/per year. All Bryan campus students pay out of district fees.

But here's the kicker. Blinn Brenham has used Blinn Bryan as a cash cow for so long, that the president if the Washington County Chamber of Commerce stated in the committee hearing that if money from Bryan has to be returned to Bryan, it would severely jeopardize jobs in Brenham and Washington County.

Someone posted earlier in this thread that Blinn has managed just fine for 100 years. My question is why aren't more people outraged at leadership that is so slipshod in it's financial management that they have created a situation in which they must rely on the income from a "satellite campus" just to stay afloat?
australopithecus robustus
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Because comparing Brenham to BCS is like comparing BCS to Austin.
FlyRod
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Win.
leathal02
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AG
Until anyone has any budgets in hand anything said is mostly speculation. It could be that the brenham campus has horrible leadership, or it could be the Brenham campus houses all the trustees, presidents,etc and foots the bill for that also looking for the Bryan campus to fill in where it can't. No one really knows. To be honest if your going to be upset about your point I'm going to be upset that the residents of brazos county don't have to pay any property taxes when clearly Brazos county benefits more than Washington economically from blinn.
techno-ag
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AG
quote:
Until anyone has any budgets in hand anything said is mostly speculation. It could be that the brenham campus has horrible leadership, or it could be the Brenham campus houses all the trustees, presidents,etc and foots the bill for that also looking for the Bryan campus to fill in where it can't. No one really knows.


Except, Blinn people have said they messed up. To the Higher Ed Committee. No speculation.

quote:

Blinn administrators recognized the Brenham campus' inability to support itself Wednesday during a hearing for a bill that would direct large amounts of state funds to the school's Bryan campus in front of the House Committee on Higher Education Wednesday night in Austin.

Interim District President Ana Guzman and Blinn Board of Trustees member Carolyn Miller told the committee that state Rep. John Raney's House Bill 1903, which would direct proportionate state funding based on contact hours to each of Blinn's campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg and Sealy, has brought to light the district's failures in handling the college's finances.

"We understand that we have failed in our fiduciary responsibility to allocate our resources properly," Miller said.


http://theeagle.com/news/local/blinn-administrators-discuss-hb-before-house-committee-on-higher-ed/article_09dde480-0a21-580d-8d71-d980134eb580.html
AggieBaseball06
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AG
quote:
So what if Bryan has a surplus? Should they be disallowed from transferring to other Blinn schools?

It's a system. They aren't independent of one another. It's no different than the owner of two McDonald's transferring revenues from one location to another for repairs, maintenance, improvements, etc.


A public organization using taxpayers' money and a private organization using private money are two wildly different things. If you can't see that, then you probably shouldn't get involved in this debate.
PS3D
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quote:
quote:
It's no different than the owner of two McDonald's transferring revenues from one location to another for repairs, maintenance, improvements, etc.
Looks like you are a big fan of income redistribution.

In your example it sounds like the owner should close down the under-performing restaurant that doesn't earn enough to pay for it's upkeep.
Well, I think it's more of not understanding. Retail stores of course do not redistribute. Even in "good" chains, many of the less performing stores don't get shiny new renovations like "better" stores do. And badly performing stores get cut, unless they're part of a scheme to subsidize bad stores to keep market share. But we aren't talking stores here.

quote:
The Bryan campus is underfunded. It's the cash cow, but that revenue is going back to Washington Co. It's led to artificially low CC taxes for Washington Co. residents because they're being supplemented with Brazos Co. tuition revenue.Keep more of the tuition earned in Brazos Co. at the Bryan campus. Don't redistribute it back to the Brenham campus just because administrators there can't balance their budget and be fiscally responsible.


quote:
No one is saying Brenham should be punished. However, maybe Washington County residents should pay a little more to support their junior college without a law being passed in Austin. That way Blinn-Brenham can balance its own budget and the funds earned in Bryan can be used toward much needed improvements at the Blinn-Bryan campus.


Given that Blinn had some shake-ups with the president and all, I'd say that with more competent leadership, they could in theory re-balance the budget to give Blinn-Bryan more money. It's not like Brenham campus is particularly over-funded (is it?)

Besides, that second campus is still coming, and with any luck that should bring Bryan and Brenham up to parity.

quote:
Bryan makes a ton of money off of Blinn. Students spend a lot of money at the fast food restaurants near the campus. Plus, I see a lot of students that stop by the HEB on Villa Maria. The bigger Blinn gets here the more apartments that will be built in the city. Those students will shop locally near campus and where they live. All in all, that's why Bryan fought like a dog to get the 2nd campus on the west side. Why make a big deal now about the other taxes?


I see several problems after the first sentence. First off, while I admittedly went off campus to eat all the time when I went to Blinn, because the food choices there completely sucked, there weren't any food places close to Blinn at all besides a grimy little gas station Burger King (and even that was several blocks away) and, um, a snow cone stand, with your other best choices going to the Tejas Center, the area around Walmart/Lowe's, or downtown via 29th. Unlike Northgate, none of those mostly rely on students. Secondly, you don't want Blinn students in apartments, they're worse than A&M student apartments (this is not just me saying this, I've heard this elsewhere)and I was both a Blinn and A&M student in the last past five years at various points in time...but that doesn't matter because Blinn is a commuter school anyway, and they shop where they live elsewhere in town. Finally, Bryan only got the second campus because the Lynntech location was such an unpopular idea, it drove Blinn to pick other options while still remaining close to its original campus. I don't remember Bryan "fighting like a dog" to get the 2nd campus.

At least there's jobs.

quote:
Don't all of the Bryan Blinn students pay out of district rates?

Yes.

quote:
Old movie theaters don't really make effective lecture halls when the climate indoors is as cold as it is outdoors.

The College Park building really was awful. It was a long walk to the other building and made the whole "close campus" ineffective, the hallways weren't designed for people hanging outside of them waiting for classes (surprised fire code wasn't violated), and because the upstairs areas were even smaller, people waiting for those classes had to wait downstairs.

Key points!
There's evidence, due to the whole Blinn President thing, that the administration is indeed incompetent
Blinn will still be building that second campus, which should lessen that whole "Bryan is just being used to fuel Brenham" problem. I hope.
Blinn makes a ton of money off Bryan, but I don't think quite the other way around. It does provide jobs, though.
biobioprof
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Blinn's trustees are elected from Washington County, so while there may be other evidence related to competence, maximizing the benefits for Washington County residents would not be a sign of incompetence.

Not sure I really understand all the issues and history but my instinct despite the above is that Raney's bill is overly micromanaging and might set some unfortunate precedents about the role of the lege.
TXAggie1976
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AG
John Raney is correct to work in the direction he is working. So glad to see he is learning about the complications of Higher Ed funding. This is a good exercise for John. Thanks, John.
TKDMom
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quote:
Not sure I really understand all the issues and history but my instinct despite the above is that Raney's bill is overly micromanaging and might set some unfortunate precedents about the role of the lege.



Raney recognizes that what's going on between the Bryan and Brenham campuses is the equivalent of the old "Robin Hood" policies in education where a rich district would have to share it's revenue with poorer districts. It didn't work, and people howled about their taxes being removed from their districts.

To those who think that this is somehow Bryan sending "surplus" money to Brenham. It's not. Brenham takes the majority of the money earned from Bryan and then uses it for facilities on the Brenham campus. They use the money for upgrade facilities on the Brenham campus that the Bryan campus doesn't have. Things like cafeterias, dorms, and facilities for kinesiology classes.

Raney isn't trying to destroy the Brenham campus, he'd just like to see equitable treatment for the students in Bryan who are footing the bill for the students in Brenham.
PrincessButtercup
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AG
quote:
quote:
Not sure I really understand all the issues and history but my instinct despite the above is that Raney's bill is overly micromanaging and might set some unfortunate precedents about the role of the lege.



Raney recognizes that what's going on between the Bryan and Brenham campuses is the equivalent of the old "Robin Hood" policies in education where a rich district would have to share it's revenue with poorer districts. It didn't work, and people howled about their taxes being removed from their districts.

To those who think that this is somehow Bryan sending "surplus" money to Brenham. It's not. Brenham takes the majority of the money earned from Bryan and then uses it for facilities on the Brenham campus. They use the money for upgrade facilities on the Brenham campus that the Bryan campus doesn't have. Things like cafeterias, dorms, and facilities for kinesiology classes.

Raney isn't trying to destroy the Brenham campus, he'd just like to see equitable treatment for the students in Bryan who are footing the bill for the students in Brenham.


I don't have a dog in the fight, but I do want to mention brenham doesn't have a grand setup for dorms and kinesiology classes. The cafeteria is awful. The dorms are gross. And the three kines classes I took- golf was in a random field by some woods on campus with rusted clubs and wiffle balls. Bowling was at rose bowl lanes which is a gross place off campus. And yoga was in a run down gym where the lights were constantly flickering on and off. I don't know what improvement have been made since then (2007), but it wasn't better than Blinn in bryan then.
BCS-Ag
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I'd be fine paying Community College taxes here in Brazos county if we had our share of representation on the Blinn Board of Directors. However, something tells me the current "good 'll boy" Blinn leadership is even more afraid of this possibility than they are of Representative Raney's proposal.
lastrebel2000
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quote:
quote:
quote:
Not sure I really understand all the issues and history but my instinct despite the above is that Raney's bill is overly micromanaging and might set some unfortunate precedents about the role of the lege.



Raney recognizes that what's going on between the Bryan and Brenham campuses is the equivalent of the old "Robin Hood" policies in education where a rich district would have to share it's revenue with poorer districts. It didn't work, and people howled about their taxes being removed from their districts.

To those who think that this is somehow Bryan sending "surplus" money to Brenham. It's not. Brenham takes the majority of the money earned from Bryan and then uses it for facilities on the Brenham campus. They use the money for upgrade facilities on the Brenham campus that the Bryan campus doesn't have. Things like cafeterias, dorms, and facilities for kinesiology classes.

Raney isn't trying to destroy the Brenham campus, he'd just like to see equitable treatment for the students in Bryan who are footing the bill for the students in Brenham.


I don't have a dog in the fight, but I do want to mention brenham doesn't have a grand setup for dorms and kinesiology classes. The cafeteria is awful. The dorms are gross. And the three kines classes I took- golf was in a random field by some woods on campus with rusted clubs and wiffle balls. Bowling was at rose bowl lanes which is a gross place off campus. And yoga was in a run down gym where the lights were constantly flickering on and off. I don't know what improvement have been made since then (2007), but it wasn't better than Blinn in bryan then.

Amen. The people who claim Blinn Bryan is getting the short end of the stick have clearly never been to Blinn Brenham's campus. The Bryan campus is a hundred times nicer than Brenham, including the old theater. Really, the only two things Brenham has that Bryan doesn't is athletics and a band.
Fonzie Scheme
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AG
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I'd be fine paying Community College taxes here in Brazos county if we had our share of representation on the Blinn Board of Directors. However, something tells me the current "good 'll boy" Blinn leadership is even more afraid of this possibility than they are of Representative Raney's proposal.

A thousand times this. You want Brazos County residents to pay a tax? Give Brazos County residents an amount of representation directly proportionate to the amount of students attending the Brazos County campus. Brenham is one of the most cliquish towns I've ever been in and there's no way they'll go for this.

Also, Blinn knows if they lose Brazos County, Lone Star College will be here tomorrow to take over. Be careful what you wish for, Brenham. You just might get it. And you'll lose a lot in the process.
PS3D
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quote:
quote:
quote:
Not sure I really understand all the issues and history but my instinct despite the above is that Raney's bill is overly micromanaging and might set some unfortunate precedents about the role of the lege.



Raney recognizes that what's going on between the Bryan and Brenham campuses is the equivalent of the old "Robin Hood" policies in education where a rich district would have to share it's revenue with poorer districts. It didn't work, and people howled about their taxes being removed from their districts.

To those who think that this is somehow Bryan sending "surplus" money to Brenham. It's not. Brenham takes the majority of the money earned from Bryan and then uses it for facilities on the Brenham campus. They use the money for upgrade facilities on the Brenham campus that the Bryan campus doesn't have. Things like cafeterias, dorms, and facilities for kinesiology classes.

Raney isn't trying to destroy the Brenham campus, he'd just like to see equitable treatment for the students in Bryan who are footing the bill for the students in Brenham.


I don't have a dog in the fight, but I do want to mention brenham doesn't have a grand setup for dorms and kinesiology classes. The cafeteria is awful. The dorms are gross. And the three kines classes I took- golf was in a random field by some woods on campus with rusted clubs and wiffle balls. Bowling was at rose bowl lanes which is a gross place off campus. And yoga was in a run down gym where the lights were constantly flickering on and off. I don't know what improvement have been made since then (2007), but it wasn't better than Blinn in bryan then.


Sounds like the Brenham campus could use some cuts if they're so bad. The Bryan campus, at least back in 2003, had real fast food places inside.
welborn
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Blinn Brenham and Blinn Bryan need to spate from each other.

As it stands, Brenham sets the rules and Bryan makes the $. They're out of touch with what each other needs entirely.

My wife is a prof at the Bryan campus and the restructuring that has taken place due to how Brenham leadership sees fit has been a disservice to the students, let alone faculty.

I wish they'd just become two separate entities and rename themselves appropriately:

Bryan Blinn = Future Aggies

Brenham Blinn = Future Houston Cougars.
biobioprof
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quote:
I'd be fine paying Community College taxes here in Brazos county if we had our share of representation on the Blinn Board of Directors. However, something tells me the current "good 'll boy" Blinn leadership is even more afraid of this possibility than they are of Representative Raney's proposal.
Does Raney's bill add community college taxes as part of requiring 2 seats on the board of trustees? If so, it isn't mentioned in this story in the Eagle. Personally, I would not be fine with paying additional taxes for a couple of seats on the Blinn board. If "our share" means Raney's proposal to add 2 who would be outvoted 7-2, then it's pretty pointless, IMO. If "our share" means board members in proportion to the student enrollment, then it's a wholesale takeover.

So what problem is this actually solving? As a resident of Brazos County am I somehow being cheated by Blinn admin in Brenham? I'm not seeing it. Are Blinn students in Bryan not getting value for their out of district tuition and fees? Maybe, but demand suggests that they are still going to Blinn. The community is getting value from the economic side effects of student and staff spending without paying Comm College taxes.

Of course the Bryan campus is a cash cow for Brenham. So what? So is Blue Bell ice cream. Are we going to demand that in the interest of "fairness" Blue Bell has to spend in B/CS proportionally to the amount of ice cream we eat? AFAIC, it's a win-win situation for Brenham and BCS. If it wasn't a cash cow for Brenham, why would they want to run Blinn here? If BCS wants to recruit a competitor, that might incentivize Blinn to spend more here (although they clearly already are with the new campus).

Although Blinn doesn't publish the breakdown of spending by campus, as another Raney bill would require them to do, I suspect that they already spend a lot more in Bryan than in Brenham for the simple reason that people are always the most expensive thing in the budget, and they need more people here to teach the larger student body. I also predict that if that bill passes, creative accounting will ensure that anyone who spends any time at all in Bryan or working on issues that affect Bryan from an office in Brenham gets counted on the Bryan side of the the reports. And more of the budget will go toward creative accountants instead of instruction.

Edit to add: here's a link to a pdf of their 2014 financial statement.
AgFan1999
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AG
I live right down the road from the Blinn-Brenham campus. TKDmon is embellishing her "story" to suit her argument. There aren't grand luxury dorms, lavish athletic facilities, high dollar food options...it is an old campus.
techno-ag
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AG
It's a college system, albeit a junior college system. Right now there are inequities in funding within the system. Raney is just trying to correct these funding inequities.
PS3D
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I don't think there were any mentions of "luxury dorms" or "high dollar food options". Who's embellishing things now?
AgFan1999
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AG
Done to prove my point, PS3D.
quote:
We will remember them as long as there is a Texas A&M and the Aggie Spirit, and that, my friends, is forever. - then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry 11/18/99


biobioprof
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quote:
It's a college system, albeit a junior college system. Right now there is inequities in funding within the system. Raney is just trying to correct these funding inequities.
1) Raney doesn't know that what these inequities are - he filed a bill to find out how much is spent on each campus.
2) Why does funding have to be equal? Isn't the primary goal to maximize the provision of education?

Are there funding inequities among the colleges at TAMU? By Raney's definitions, undoubtedly the answer is yes. Do I want a formula to set priorities among colleges and departments? No. The bottom line for me is that if these alleged inequities affect the value proposition for students, they will go elsewhere. With the profusion of online options these days, that's even more of an alternative than its ever been. I'm reminded of a dean we used to have in Ag. Whenever there was a pot of $ to do something, he would divide it up equally among the departments so he could never be accused of being unfair. The net result was that there was never enough to actually accomplish anything.
techno-ag
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AG
Raney does know. Last year there were 2230 students in Brenham and 12,000+ in Bryan. The Brenham campus would have lost $600,000 and the Bryan campus would have gained $10 million.
biobioprof
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quote:
Raney does know. Last year there were 2230 students in Brenham and 12,000+ in Bryan. The Brenham campus would have lost $600,000 and the Bryan campus would have gained $10 million.
Is that income based on capitation from THECB or tuition and fees? What about expenses?
techno-ag
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AG
That's based on estimates Blinn provided to Raney.
PrincessButtercup
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AG
quote:
I live right down the road from the Blinn-Brenham campus. TKDmon is embellishing her "story" to suit her argument. There aren't grand luxury dorms, lavish athletic facilities, high dollar food options...it is an old campus.
Yeah, the campus is pretty rough in most spots. Which makes me wonder how the money is being spent...I worked at Blinn in Bryan for a few years, and it needs some serious improvements. If Brenham is run down and Bryan needs work...where is all the money going?? Big wigs?

TwoTimeAg
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AG
Raney amended the bill to only apply specifically to Blinn, not all of the other community colleges in Texas.
RDH80
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AG
Big wigs ? Yes ... Check the organizational chart for all the administrative additions . District pres AND pres if brazos campuses . Don't need 2 presidents ... VP's , asst vp's, deans , asst deans ,department heads .... On and on ..... Seems very top heavy for less than 20,000 enrollment . It wasn't even a "district"until a few years ago .... The Board approved all of it and is responsible for hiring the president -- the past few have been inept , and then they bring in "friends" that need jobs to be new VP's etc . Interim president. Guzman is NOT the answer and neither is Sylvia McMullen .




duffelpud
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AG
This is beginning to have shades of the Pedernales Electric Cooperative fiasco from a few years back - a very clubby organization where the insiders were all scratching each others' backs until someone peeked in the window of their club house.

A quick look at Blinn salaries suggests numbers that may be significantly above State averages.
RDH80
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AG
old data and comparisons are inaccurate .
atm86
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