Budget FY2010

For Immediate Release

Jeremy Thompson, Director of Marketing
tel. 617 879 7046
e. jeremy.thompson@massart.edu

Boston,

MA—On Monday, July 29, Governor Deval Patrick signed into law the state budget for FY2010, which appropriates $12.7 million for Massachusetts College of Art and Design. This is a reduction of 16.5% from the state appropriation originally approved for FY2009, or 12.1% taking into consideration mid-year reductions.

In addition to the state appropriation, the governor has committed $2.5 million to MassArt in federal stimulus funding designated for higher education. Combined, the state appropriation and stimulus funds provide $15,202,160 to MassArt for FY2010, which is equivalent to its original FY2009 appropriation.

“I am pleased that the governor approved the appropriation jointly recommended by the House and Senate,” says Kay Sloan, president of Massachusetts College of Art and Design. “Continued support for public higher education is critical, particularly given the state’s struggling economy. And considering that the creative sector is thriving in Massachusetts—the design industry alone employs 45,000 people—MassArt is part of the solution.

The state appropriation comprises 26.2% of the college’s $48.4 million budget for FY2010; the remainder is covered by tuition, fees, and a variety other revenue streams. This is made possible in part by the college’s groundbreaking public-private partnership with the commonwealth, which was established in 2003 and made permanent last year. The partnership allows MassArt to retain its tuition and provides expanded authority and flexibility to the board of trustees.

Though federal $2.5 million in stimulus funding provides essential support for the coming year, the funds are available only for FY2010, indicating a probable $2.5 million reduction for FY2011. The college is implementing a number of cost-saving measures to address this anticipated shortfall.

The college’s new fiscal year begins today.

 

 

Located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts College of Art and Design is one of the premier art and design schools in the United States. It has a proud 135-year legacy as the nation's first and only independent public art college and the first art school in the country to grant a degree. The college offers a comprehensive range of baccalaureate and graduate degree, continuing education, and youth programs. With visionary leadership and a world-class faculty, MassArt is at the forefront of art and design in the twenty-first century.