On the chopping block

Portland State faculty and staff expressed concerns to administrators during meetings late last week about where $4 million in budget cuts will be drawn from next year. Departments have been asked to skim up to 6 percent from their 2006-07 budgets.

The meetings came on the heels of a proposal that called for $4.2 million in cuts from 22 administrative and academic sections of the university, including the Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Millar Library, and the Engineering College. Over $1.2 million of the cuts will be reinvested in 10 administrative and academic sections.

“Unit managers are trying to understand what the consequences will be under those reductions,” said Dr. Ray Johnson, professor of accounting and budget committee chair.

Though complaints about cuts to departments were abundant from the faculty and staff who attended the meetings, no alternative options were suggested.

“People never say what they would cut,” said Lindsey Desrochers, vice president of finance and administration. Desrochers was one of four administrative panelists, including President Dan Bernstine, who responded to staff and faculty complaints.

The consequences are still unclear to many who attended, seeing language in the proposal such as “consolidation of duplicate services” toward the Office of Information Technologies as an example.

“The university needs to have transparency to let everyone know what they’re paying for,” said Mike Burton, vice provost of Extended Studies.

Beyond clarity, people expressed concerns over job security and an ability for departments to continue to function.

“It makes an impact on services we can sup ply to people,” said Helen Spalding, University Librarian. “We’re most concerned about the impact on students.”

With a proposed $389,400 to the library’s $9.5 million budget, the proposal seeks to eliminate a staff position, along with some materials and acquisitions.

The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science will also suffer a position loss due to the proposed $278,000 in cuts to its nearly $15 million budget. Reductions in equipment funds could also incur, which Dean Robert Dryden said would substantially limit the college.

“When you can’t buy or maintain equipment, it limits research,” he said. “There would have been goals and aspirations that may not be realistic now.”

The proposal’s reinvestments were meant to give back to the areas of the university that have suffered in recent years. Student Affairs received no cuts to their budget, but was allowed the largest reinvestment at $355,000.

“In those areas there are deep holes that need to be rebuilt,” said Desrochers. Roy Koch, provost and vice president of academic affairs, added, “We haven’t kept up investing in Student Affairs.”

The $4.2 million stems from a $17.9 million estimated expenditure compared to $13.8 million in additional resources that will be available. Of the resultant $4.1 million deficit, the administration hopes to pay back $3 million in the 2006-07 fiscal year, pushing $1.1 million off to the following fiscal year.

“I don’t think it is an unbearable level,” Desroches said. She added that it should be easier to make up debts once the university enters a new biennium in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

The administration hopes to additionally spend $1.2 million in reinvestments, making the $4.2 million total with the $3 million.

Desrochers and Koch hope the new process they are implementing for the cuts will make the procedure more accessible.

The two asked each campus department head to go over their own budget and bring forth six percent in reductions. After receiving these suggestions, Desrochers, Koch, Mike Driscoll, vice provost for academic personnel and budget, and Michael Fung, budget director, went through and created the proposal of cuts and reinvestments.

The four also used data collaborated over seven years, which looked at departments based on performance, for the decision.

“It’s an open process to the whole campus so everyone feels they understand,” Koch said.

Burton said he is impressed with the work the administration has done and hopes they keep everyone fully informed.

“I would argue that it is a far improved system,” he said.

The administration will look over the budget and add any revisions this week, then submit it to President Bernstine. Next week Bernstine will confirm and finalize the budget.

 

 

With $4.2 million in budget cuts, faculty and staff are concerned about future of programs

David Holley

Vanguard

Portland State faculty and staff expressed concerns to administrators during meetings late last week about where $4 million in budget cuts will be drawn from next year. Departments have been asked to skim up to 6 percent from their 2006-07 budgets.

The meetings came on the heels of a proposal that called for $4.2 million in cuts from 22 administrative and academic sections of the university, including the Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Millar Library, and the Engineering College. Over $1.2 million of the cuts will be reinvested in 10 administrative and academic sections.

“Unit managers are trying to understand what the consequences will be under those reductions,” said Dr. Ray Johnson, professor of accounting and budget committee chair.

Though complaints about cuts to departments were abundant from the faculty and staff who attended the meetings, no alternative options were suggested.

“People never say what they would cut,” said Lindsey Desrochers, vice president of finance and administration. Desrochers was one of four administrative panelists, including President Dan Bernstine, who responded to staff and faculty complaints.

The consequences are still unclear to many who attended, seeing language in the proposal such as “consolidation of duplicate services” toward the Office of Information Technologies as an example.

“The university needs to have transparency to let everyone know what they’re paying for,” said Mike Burton, vice provost of Extended Studies.

Beyond clarity, people expressed concerns over job security and an ability for departments to continue to function.

“It makes an impact on services we can sup ply to people,” said Helen Spalding, University Librarian. “We’re most concerned about the impact on students.”

With a proposed $389,400 to the library’s $9.5 million budget, the proposal seeks to eliminate a staff position, along with some materials and acquisitions.

The Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science will also suffer a position loss due to the proposed $278,000 in cuts to its nearly $15 million budget. Reductions in equipment funds could also incur, which Dean Robert Dryden said would substantially limit the college.

“When you can’t buy or maintain equipment, it limits research,” he said. “There would have been goals and aspirations that may not be realistic now.”

The proposal’s reinvestments were meant to give back to the areas of the university that have suffered in recent years. Student Affairs received no cuts to their budget, but was allowed the largest reinvestment at $355,000.

“In those areas there are deep holes that need to be rebuilt,” said Desrochers. Roy Koch, provost and vice president of academic affairs, added, “We haven’t kept up investing in Student Affairs.”

The $4.2 million stems from a $17.9 million estimated expenditure compared to $13.8 million in additional resources that will be available. Of the resultant $4.1 million deficit, the administration hopes to pay back $3 million in the 2006-07 fiscal year, pushing $1.1 million off to the following fiscal year.

“I don’t think it is an unbearable level,” Desroches said. She added that it should be easier to make up debts once the university enters a new biennium in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

The administration hopes to additionally spend $1.2 million in reinvestments, making the $4.2 million total with the $3 million.

Desrochers and Koch hope the new process they are implementing for the cuts will make the procedure more accessible.

The two asked each campus department head to go over their own budget and bring forth six percent in reductions. After receiving these suggestions, Desrochers, Koch, Mike Driscoll, vice provost for academic personnel and budget, and Michael Fung, budget director, went through and created the proposal of cuts and reinvestments.

The four also used data collaborated over seven years, which looked at departments based on performance, for the decision.

“It’s an open process to the whole campus so everyone feels they understand,” Koch said.

Burton said he is impressed with the work the administration has done and hopes they keep everyone fully informed.

“I would argue that it is a far improved system,” he said.

The administration will look over the budget and add any revisions this week, then submit it to President Bernstine. Next week Bernstine will confirm and finalize the budget.