Committee:
University Budget Committee
Date: 4:01 PM 26
August 2004
Regular Members in
Attendance: Henry Ferrell, Nancy House, Patricia Mitchell, Art Rodriguez,
Ralph Scott.
Ex-officio Members in
Attendance: Maggie Capen, Andre Harrell, Chuck
Hawkins, Maggie {Margaret Helene} O’Neill (SGA), Catherine Rigsby, Jim Smith,
Bob Thompson, Gary Vanderpool.
Others in Attendance:
Lori Lee
Persons presiding: Prof. Catherine Rigsby and Henry Ferrell
Agenda Item #1:
Elections
Professor Rigsby called the meeting to order at 4:01 PM. The
first item on the agenda was the election of officers. The following were
elected from the regular membership of the committee:
Chair: Henry Ferrell (nominated by Scott)
Vice Chair: Art Rodriguez (nominated by Ferrell)
Secretary: Ralph Scott (nominated by Ferrell and House)
Following the election of Prof. Ferrell, he assumed the
duties of chair and conducted the remainder of the above elections.
Agenda Item #2:
Meeting Time
Professor Ferrell next asked if there were any major
objections to the regular scheduled meeting time of the committee. There being
none, the time was fixed at 4PM on the third Thursday of each month.
Agenda Item #3: Budget Update
Professor Ferrell asked Chuck Hawkins to provide an update
to the Faculty Senate on Budget
issues at their next meeting. Hawkins was to provide this information by next
Tuesday for inclusion on the agenda to go out next Wednesday. Professor Ferrell
next asked Chuck Hawkins to give the committee an update on General Assembly
actions over the summer. Hawkins responded that the General Assembly has passed
the university appropriations bill in late July. He noted that the bill
included enrollment increase monies for East Carolina.
Provost Smith stated that the bill was reported out of committee by a slim
margin of three votes. It was noted that we had some work to do with state
legislators on this issue. Hawkins further noted that there were some budget
reductions this time ($2 million), but this had been handled internally by the
university administration. Some $14.3 million net was available to assist with
the funding of 97 new faculty positions. Prof. Ferrell asked if these were
going to be filled this fall. It was noted that this was not likely, but that
the monies would be available for use in the future. Professor Ferrell next
asked about for a brief report on formula budgeting. Hawkins replied that the
Academic Support Budget was formula driven by credit hours multiplied by the
average teaching salary, $63,747 which was confirmed by Dr. Thompson. Ferrell asked how budget reductions were
covered in prior years and Hawkins commented that these were covered from
enrollment increase funds and lapse salaries for one-time reductions. The
current year budget reduction of 1.47% was covered from Enrollment increase
funds, including a reduction of 18 new faculty positions. Ferrell asked if the Board of Governors was on board with the
allocated funding. Hawkins replied they were very complimentary of the General
Assembly and the Governor’s Office due to the full funding of enrollment
increase funds, financial aid and the Cardio Vascular Institute. Ferrell asked
how the process worked and Hawkins noted that the funding bills originate in
alternate years in the House and Senate. It was noted that Universities faired
better in the Senate as opposed to the House. It was noted that the School of Medicine funding does not receive
enrollment increase funding since their enrollment is fixed. Ferrell next noted
the attendance of the SGA representative and asked about the student
contribution to the university budget. Hawkins replied that campus based
tuition increases of $225 contributes to
receipts of the University which when combined with certain other student fees
retained in the State funds total about $76 million. Ferrell next opined that Pepsi soft drinks on
campus had gone up 25 cents per can. He asked about the use of the profits from
this revenue stream. Hawkins noted that much of the profits go to fund textbook
loan programs (for Faculty and Staff) and other “improvements on campus.”
Ferrell asked next about the profits from food services. Hawkins noted that the
university receives a percent of sales based on the contract with ARAMARK.
Scott asked about the ECU Catering
Service. Thompson replied that this was a service that was available to the
university and surrounding community to use for meal functions on and off
campus. Scott asked if the university paid the regular prices that would allow
for a percent of sales to be returned to the university. It was stated that
this was in fact true.
Agenda Item #4: Remarks
by the Provost
Provost Smith remarked that he recalled meeting in this very
room in Rawl in 1992 while being chair of the Educational Policies and Planning
Committee. At that time many budget issues were not addressed in a timely
manner with the faculty. He recalled meeting with Chancellor Eakin in the EPPC meetings where “all sorts of questions
were asked and answered.” Provost Smith noted that as a result of questions he
asked, he came to the notice of the Eakin
administration and was quickly drafted for duties with administration.
Agenda Item#5:
Report by Bob Thompson
Ferrell next asked Bob Thompson to report on “what he does.”
Thompson reported that his duties were divided into three areas: Budget
planning, enrollment planning and space issues (planning in some cases out
10-25 years); Institutional Research; Surveys such as SOIS, freshman survey,
etc.
Agenda Item#6:
Remarks by the Chair of the Faculty
Rigsby thanked everyone for their service on this valuable
committee. She noted that she would be her own representative on the committee.
She noted that she found the meeting of the committee very informative and that
this was an important committee in terms of faculty input into the budget process.
She also noted that had she known the amount of work involved she might not
have accepted the position of Chair of the Faculty.
Agenda Item#7: Recap
by Professor Ferrell
Ferrell noted that today we:
- elected
officers
- fixed
meeting dates and times
- had
budget update
- fixed the agenda for the next meeting.
Ferrell asked if there were any objections to the placing on
the next agenda the interrogatories submitted to the chair by two faculty
members in the Division of Health Sciences (insert in committee member folders).
These questions pertain to what these faculty members see as budget and salary
issues in the Division. Thompson noted that it would alright if committee
members could respond to the questions. Ferrell noted that, that was the idea.
The two faculty members will be invited to make a presentation at the next
meeting of the University Budget Committee.
Announcements:
Committee members are invited to meet with a candidate for
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance on Friday, September 10th,
2004 at 3PM in the Trustees’ Suite in Mendenhall. Ferrell noted that if member
did not know the location of the Trustees’ Suite it was the well appointed room
across from the room where the Faculty Senate
meets.
There being no other items of business, Ferrell declared the
meeting adjourned at 4:31 PM.
Next Meeting: 23
September 2004, 4PM.
Items to be
discussed: Interrogatories by Profs. Holbert and Vos
Budget
update
Respectfully submitted,
Ralph Scott
Secretary, UBC.
