Budget woes article in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008
Here is a link to an article titled "Financial Woes in Florida Could Lead to Deeper Budget Cuts for State's Public Colleges" that appears in today's edition of the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Posted by Steve Dorman at 4:55 AM Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008
Notes to Faculty and Staff #17
Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008
HHP Colleagues:
As mentioned in my note to you last week we will have a college Faculty and Staff meeting this Friday at 3 p.m. to discuss the current budget reduction and our response. The meeting will take place in Room FLG -220.
Please find below a list of websites that may be helpful in providing additional information regarding our current budget situation. As additional information comes forward I will notify you.
University and SUS information regarding the current budget reduction:
University of Florida Budget Reduction
DDD regarding Budget Reduction for next fiscal yea:
Link to webcast of Faculty Senate presentation by the President
Chancellor Rosenberg’s presentation to the BOG on July 10, 2007 ( brief PDF)
Chancellor Rosenberg’s presentation to the BOG on July 10, 2007 (expanded PDF)
SUS Tuition History, 1995-2007
Here are some news articles on the current budget situation:
Alligator article on President Machen’s presentation to faculty Senate
The Gainesville Sun article on President Machen’s presentation to faculty Senate
UCF to cut budget, freeze hiring and cap 2008 enrollment in response to reductions in state funding
Florida State University Response to Budget Reduction
FAU could turn away 2000 students due to budget cut
Florida universities could turn away 60,000 students by 2012
Presidents of colleges, universities warn of layoffs
Posted by Steve Dorman at 6:52 AM
Notes to Faculty and Staff #16
Friday, February 22, 2008
Statement to the Faculty and Staff on Budget Reductions at the University of Florida:
By now you’ve heard about President Machen’s message concerning future budget cuts for the University. At this phase in the discussion, we all have questions and concerns about our future. Let me summarize how we got to this point and what the College must do to successfully meet this challenge.
You know that UF operates on a fiscal year that runs from July 1 of one year to June 30 of the next year. Our current fiscal year budget runs from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. This year the College received a budget of about 9 million dollars. More than 85 percent of our budget goes to provide pay and benefits for people, leaving less than 15 percent for “non-people” expenditures.
During Fall 2007, the Legislature recalled about 4 percent of the University’s budget. Our share totaled about $396,275. For the first recall we took funds from many sources including salary from vacant positions, as well as expense funds which we use for things like supplies, professional travel and OPS appointments. For the first recall, I made a decision to absorb as much of the $396,000 as possible from funds available to the Dean’s Office, and to pass the remaining funds to the departments. This approach created the least disruption to department operations, and caused the least disruption for faculty and staff. We also avoided any layoffs.
It now appears that the Legislature will recall an additional 6 percent of the University’s budget to be taken from fiscal year 2008-2009. We estimate that our share in the second recall will total about $550,000. On July1, we will begin fiscal year 2008-2009 with a cumulative budget reduction of about 10%, which totals over $940,000. For the first recall, we exhausted our reserves and our uncommitted funds. We must meet the next recall from our committed funds.
My first priority will be to preserve faculty and staff jobs in the College. I assure you I will do my best to achieve that goal. To do so will require that we examine every aspect of our operations. Some areas will be strengthened while others may be reduced or phased out. We will look for programs with long-term viability. We will identify and retain strong programs that support the academic mission of the College and the University. We will reduce costs and increase revenue to the greatest extent possible.
In the coming weeks, we will keep you informed and involved in the decision-making process at all levels. A college faculty meeting will be held next Friday from 3:00-3:30 to discuss what we know about our current budget situation. We will continue to consult with the faculty and staff and their elected representative groups regarding budget cut options. At the appropriate time we will entrust to the deans and department chairs their authorized budgetary responsibility and follow their collective judgment in making decisions for the best interest of the College.
A recall of this magnitude will require a shared sacrifice by all of us to preserve a strong foundation for the College. Every individual and unit will contribute. No one will go untouched. This situation understandably creates tension and uncertainty. I ask each of you to focus on the positive, and reject the negative tendency to become protective and embittered. We must not allow this adversity to “break our bonds of affection.” We must be ruled by “the better angels of our nature.” Together, we will share in a common sacrifice to preserve what’s best about our College. When better economic times return, we will resume our collective goal to achieve excellence. It is quite remarkable that we continue to have nationally ranked programs on such a lean budget. This is a testament to your diligence and professionalism. I’m grateful for the privilege to serve as your Dean.
Let me sum up my hopes for all of us with these words from an unknown author:
"Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but by how we react to what happens; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results."
Steve
Posted by Steve Dorman at 10:31 AM
Notes to Faculty and Staff #15
Friday, Feb. 8, 2008
Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
New Lines
In spite of the budget challenges this year, the college has been fortunate to receive 2 additional faculty lines and 1 advisor line. Searches are now underway to fill one of the faculty lines (APK) and the advisor line (TRSM). The second faculty line will be placed in TRSM.
Reminder about security
Just a quick reminder about security in our building -- Please remember to lock the doors behind you when you enter and leave the building on the weekends and at night -- and do not prop open locked doors. Also, when you leave your office whether on the weekends or week days, it is prudent to close and lock your office door. Finally, anytime you see suspicious behavior, please don't hesitate to call the appropriate authorities. Thanks for your help in keeping our work environment safe and secure.
Writing Seminar
This spring 15 faculty in the college are attending a special seminar on writing sponsored by the HHP Research Office. Jane Douglas, Associate Professor in the Center for Management Communication is conducting a series of classes entitled “Manuscript and Grant Writing: Maximizing Your Chances for Success.” While the current writing seminar is full, please let Dr. Cauraugh or Ms. Roebuck know if you are interested in participating in a future seminar of this type.
Staff development retreat
HHP staff will have a second annual staff retreat March 28 at Lake Wauburg. The retreat is being planned by the SAC and will feature guest speakers and the ever popular talent show. All staff should make plans to attend!
Publishable Paper Dissertations
Dissertations in the form of publishable papers are becoming more accepted in many discipline areas. This format has been used in the ‘hard’ sciences for years. I would like to encourage our graduate faculty to consider use of compilation of a series of publishable papers as an acceptable form for dissertation work. The advantages, of course, are that the papers are published or submitted for publication prior to the defense of the dissertation, rather than in the months and years after the dissertation. In addition, the publishable manuscripts can be planned and developed throughout the graduate experience and author credit discussed as the dissertation is being planned. Think about it.
Doctoral Program Review
While most universities require regular external reviews of their doctoral programs, the doctoral programs in our college have never undergone an external review or critique. This spring we will welcome several visitors to the college for a review of the doctoral programs in each department. Department graduate coordinators and faculty have assembled review documents for their program and the discipline area visitors will provide a critique and feedback on ways to strengthen these programs. If you have questions about this review, please contact Dr. Kelli Brown, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Privacy issues
A new state law that became effective Jan. 1, 2008, requires the University of Florida to raise awareness among its students, faculty, and staff about the limited use for which Social Security numbers may be used. For years, the university has, in accordance with state law, acted to limit and protect the personal identification information that it collects. The university uses a UFID number, not Social Security numbers, as the primary identifier for an individual at the university. The Social Security number is no longer authorized to be used in any university information system, business form or process, or records collection.
To review the university’s Privacy Statement, see http://privacy.ufl.edu/. If you believe that your Social Security number is being requested or used by the university for an unauthorized purpose, or if you have questions about appropriate use of your employees' or students' Social Security number, please contact the University Privacy Office for assistance at 866-500-3344 or privacy@ufl.edu.
Summer School
Plans are now underway to develop our summer school offerings. The college receives about $235,000 to conduct summer school. The provost requires these funds be used to provide direct instruction and produce summer SCH. In addition, she asks that the funds be used as efficiently as possible. While assistant professors may require $7-8,000 in salary support to teach a three hour course, full professors may require $12-14,000 in salary support to teach a three hour course. So, you can see that $235,000 is inadequate to provide a summer salary for each faculty member in the college. As we continue to grow in faculty size, unless summer school funds increase, we will face continued difficulty in providing summer support for all faculty members.
Thankfully, many faculty members write their summer salary support into their grants and thereby pass on the offer to teach during the summer. We encourage more faculty members to do this. In the future, summer salary support cannot be automatically guaranteed for all. Please plan accordingly.
End note…about the budget…
As the university enters a phase of discussion about resources and potential budget cut allocations, I know many of you have questions about how this might impact the college.
The decisions we made in the first budget rescission of nearly $400,000 was an effort to try to protect and insulate the faculty and staff from the effects of this cut. While we have been unable to rehire some faculty and staff positions – we have not had to lay off anyone yet. A financial cushion was created because we had unfilled vacant lines which we have been able to combine with positions that have been vacated this year and not filled. This allowed us to send nearly all of the college operating budget to the departments and leaving the dean’s office to run off of carry forward funds from last year. Therefore, hopefully, you have not felt the immediate impact of this cut.
As we approach what might be a second round of cuts we will try our best to preserve as many positions as possible. However, the potential of starting the next academic year with an 8% cut will require us to think differently and examine what we do as college. We must focus on the top priorities in the college. Saving positions (and people) may require us to stop doing some things that are not essential to the college function.
I know it seems inconsistent to have received 2 new faculty lines and adviser position, in a year when we have also had a major rescission. On top of that we are undergoing renovations of research and teaching labs in the building. The funds for these operations, however, are coming from set aside funds in the university budget that we have been fortunate to secure.
Here are some guidelines and principles that I am trying to use as we approach this effort:
Hopefully, the economy will turn upward and state resources will rebound --- giving the legislature the confidence not to cut the universities the full 8% that is being predicted. That would be nice.
Steve
Posted by Steve Dorman at 2:45 PM