Faculty Senate Meeting
September 4, 2001
University Budget Committee
Report to the Chancellor
June 27, 2001
General Statement of Priorities
- Academics should be the primary budget
priority. Cuts should not be made
which will adversely affect student learning or the safety of students and
other personnel.
- Budget priorities must firmly support the
Doctoral II research mission of the University and the continuing and
increased requirements for faculty research productivity pertaining
thereto.
- Where necessary, cuts should not damage the
University in ways that are not easily reversed in better economic times.
- Do not make cuts that will adversely affect
areas of revenue generation including but not limited to student credit
hours, grants and contracts, and medical clinics.
Specific Recommendations
Consistent with the General
Statement of Priorities given above, the committee recommends:
Maintain current funding levels in the following
areas:
- Make no further cuts in the operating budget of
the library. New funds or a
reduction in the budgetary shortfall should be used to restore previous
cuts and/or to fund inflationary adjustments no longer funded by the
General Assembly.
- Maintain and appropriately staff currently
planned courses and sections.
- Maintain current teaching, research, and service
capabilities.
- Maintain current levels of contract and grant support.
- Maintain revenue-generating clinical operations
on the Medical Campus. To the
extent possible, provide funding for programs or activities that will
generate sufficient revenue to realize a quick payback of the investment.
Make budget reductions in the following areas, in
order of priority:
- Increase the administrative charge to ancillary
operations and use resources to offset cuts.
- Reduce the number of faculty/staff PC
replacements for one year.
- Reduce amount spent on travel. Permit units to determine how reductions
should be implemented.
- Postpone the purchase of machinery, tools, and
other assets where feasible. Adjust
the number and cost of vehicles owned or leased by the University.
- Reduce energy consumption by means of: reminders to faculty and staff to turn
off lights and equipment when not needed; raise the temperature in
buildings in the summer when appropriate; reduce the number and intensity
of lighting when not inconsistent with safety concerns; repair or replace
caulking and weather-stripping where appropriate.
6. Cut
vacant non-teaching EPA and SPA positions.
Cutting occupied positions should be a very low priority option. When implementing this point, consider:
a.
Review the number and job
responsibilities of administrative positions and consolidate or eliminate
positions when appropriate.
- Adjust maintenance and housekeeping schedules
for cost savings.
- Reduce landscaping intensity.
Additional suggestions for reducing budget expenditures.