South Carolina State University’s budget committee has decided the administration can’t use federal stimulus dollars or other one-time money to plug a $6 million budget gap.

But the committee didn’t dismiss President Dr. George Cooper’s recommendations to enact a 10-day employee furlough and eliminate $1.7 million in post-retirement and part-time employee salaries.

Cooper wouldn’t say how many employees could be laid off under his proposal, citing the need for full board approval. He did say the number of unpaid furlough days could be reduced if the university finds external funding sources or enrollment increases in the spring.

Committee Chairman Maurice Washington said using one-time money to close the gap would only be a temporary fix and cause the same issues to arise next year.

“That should not be the solution,” he said. “There’s no question this is going to be painful.”

He said Cooper needs to find other ways to address the gap.

“The president has got to put some skin in this game,” Washington said.

Cooper is expected to submit a proposal for balancing the budget to the board in December. The full S.C. State board will have to approve any final plan.

The budget gap arose from the combination of an enrollment shortfall, overspending the scholarship budget and a state funding cut. S.C. State also lost more than $8 million in state funding last fiscal year.

Cooper and his cabinet had recommended using $1.5 million in stimulus funds and $500,000 from a contingency account to help balance the budget.

In addition, Senior Vice President of Finance John Smalls told the committee he would like to save another $550,000 by receiving scholarship money from the S.C. State Advancement Foundation and delaying a research incentive plan.

The committee voted to take those options off the table.

Faculty Senate President Dr. Evelyn Fields questioned whether a furlough would be a nonrecurring cost-saving measure.

Board Chairman Jonathan Pinson said the need for furloughs is based on an institution’s financial situation.

“We are never happy about potential furloughs but again we’re not sure that’s going to happen right now,” Fields said. “It’s still kind of a wait-and-see thing.”

If the university goes the furlough route, Cooper said he would give employees the option of taking some furlough days around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Fields said that would help minimize the impact to students.

Pinson said keeping stimulus dollars off the table allows S.C. State to invest in items that produce revenue, such as technology.

Stimulus money could be used as a back-up option if the university’s financial situation gets any more dire, trustee Robert Nance said.

Trustee Walter L. Tobin asked why S.C. State overextended its scholarship budget by $1.2 million.

Cooper responded that many students wouldn’t have been able to pay for school otherwise.

“We felt it was in our best interest to pay the $1.2 million to stabilize enrollment rather than not pay that amount and lose students,” he said.

S.C. State officials projected 5,102 students would be on campus this fall. However, fewer than 4,600 students actually showed up, costing the university $4 million in expected revenue.

Cooper said the 5,102 figure was based on the goal of having 6,000 students matriculate at S.C. State by 2014.

More than 300 students were in system to register this fall but didn’t complete the process for some reason, Cooper said.

Tobin said making the registration process easier for incoming students is critical.

“We need to be more welcoming,” he said.

Cooper said the enrollment shortfall has caused him to question if the 2014 enrollment goal is reachable.

“Is this realistic? Should we be trying to grow at this point?” he said.

Cooper said he will have ongoing discussions with the board on the issue.

He said the university needs to retain more upperclassmen. He said that would make S.C. State’s enrollment less reliant on freshmen students.

“If we go to 6,000, we need a certain amount of faculty. If we decide that it is unrealistic, we’ll have a smaller number,” he said.

T&D Staff Writer Lee Tant can be reached by e-mail at ltant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-534-1060.

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