Dear Colleagues,
When I sent you my most recent communication late last week, I did not know how quickly the request would come that we describe how we would implement a budget reduction and the impact of such a cut on the programs and services of Eastern Kentucky University. As you have probably seen in the media we have been instructed to prepare such a report based on a potential 4 percent reduction (just over $3 million) of our state appropriation.
While the media have accurately reported that these reports are due to the State Budget Office by December 5, we need to have EKU’s information submitted to the Council on Postsecondary Education by close of business on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Dr. Richard Crofts, interim president of the CPE, was correct in his quoted statement in today’s newspapers. It is difficult to effect a mid-year budget reduction strategically. What we can do, however, is deal with it through short term strategies and then use the time between now and the end of the fiscal year to make the strategic adjustments in a more measured manner. That will be our approach. As we work together to accomplish this, we must keep in mind that the nation’s and state’s fiscal challenges will likely continue into 2009-10.
Next Monday I will report to the Faculty Senate where we stand on this matter. On Tuesday the Administrative Council – which now includes faculty, staff, and student leadership in its membership – will discuss the nature and content of what we will include in our report to be filed on Wednesday.
The strategic implementation of whatever cut we ultimately receive will involve the entire organizational structure coordinated by the Financial Planning Council. It is very possible that we will not know the true amount of our budget reduction until after the Governor and the Legislature have had an opportunity to address the state’s finances when the General Assembly convenes in January. As we did when earlier this year we were facing a possible 12 percent reduction (that turned out to be 3 percent), we will plan for the worse while hoping for the best.
What I will seek for us as we deal with the impact of the global economic crisis on our campus are:
1. Protection of our core instructional mission.
2. Avoidance of forced layoffs of faculty and staff supported by our general fund and auxiliary budgets. As we have done before, our goal will be to manage the unavoidable reduction of employees through attrition. In order to accomplish this, we will immediately be implementing a hiring freeze with the same conditions as what we had in place last spring semester.
I am confident that we will be implementing other cost containment measures that will be identified and communicated in the coming weeks.
I am equally confident that the Eastern Family is up to the challenges that face us.
Have a great Thanksgiving. Despite the hard work ahead we have much for which to be thankful.
Doug Whitlock
SOURCE: Campus-wide email
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