Throughout the week, President Randy Dunn has visited constituent meetings in an effort to generate discussion about the budget planning and review team’s consolidated recommendations.
As the document is a draft, Dunn said some items might need further evaluation and consideration.
Items on the working draft are classified as either academic or non-academic, and are listed for either immediate implementation or are listed as deferred for further study and analysis.
For the working draft, click here.
According to the working draft, the BPR teams – originally charged with finding approximately $2.3 million in savings – have found approximately $5.2 million in annual savings and a way for the University to possibly generate approximately $1.1 million in annual revenue. The BPR teams evaluations began after a state-made deficit to the University budget.
Tom Denton, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, said that beside the current year deficit to be funded in the new year, there are other costs that are beyond the control of the University. He said these could include fixed costs for insurance and fringe benefit increases, potential compensation increases to employees and, one of the largest increases, coverage of ongoing tuition wavers and scholarship increases.
Denton said as a result of the costs beyond University control, the BPR teams needed to increase the amount of savings found. The BPR teams have found almost $4 million more than they were originally charged with.
“Some of the items will not be implemented in the first year and some will require further study and may not pan out,” he said. “Some may not be approved by the Board of Regents. With these factors, we may not end up with the full amount proposed.”
According to the working draft, approximately $542 thousand of the annual savings will be derived from academics. The reason less has been recommended from that core area, Denton said, was because an attempt has been made to not change the face of the University and to not significantly change the core-teaching mission.
“The academic side of the house did provide around a million dollars in positions eliminated through attrition in the 2011-12 fiscal year,” he said.
Bonnie Higginson, vice president of Academic Affairs, said reactions were mixed about some of the ways the University would generate savings.
“People understand that we have to find savings somewhere,” she said. “No one wants their area cut.”
She said Dunn had indicated to her that the BPR teams were to try and keep Academic Affairs from being cut excessively.
Said Higginson: “Dunn has been quite vocal about the need to ensure that our academic mission and the quality of our academic programs remain intact.”
Story by Chris Wilcox, Chief Copy Editor.