University budget forums

Administrators held two open-campus forums this week about a reoccurring budget shortfall of $2.5 million to $3 million each year. Administrators may have to cut $5 million or more from the 2007-08 school year’s budget.

The concerns of most attendees-about 25 people on Monday and 15 people on Wednesday-were in response to the proposed budget from Oregon’s Ways and Means Committee that reduced Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s proposal for the Oregon University System’s (OUS) operational funds by about 4 percent and cut the capital construction budget by more than 80 percent.

The capital construction budgeting includes the costs for the renovation of Lincoln Hall and the repairs to Science Building 2, and could be cut from the budget if the Legislature does not approve additional construction funding.

Roy Koch, PSU provost of academic affairs, Lindsay Desrochers, vice president of finance and administration, and Cassie McVeety, vice president for university relations, assisted in answering detailed questions about the budget.

The possibility of a merger between PSU and neighboring Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU) was discussed. Koch said that the two schools are fundamentally different, and because OHSU is a public entity and PSU a state entity, both are wary of a merger.

Koch and Desrochers said that PSU administrators are currently working to recruit at least 105 non-resident freshmen students as a means to generate tuition revenue to make up for the budget deficit. Koch said that there are a few graduate doctoral programs that will help generate revenue for PSU next year.

In response to questions about faculty salaries, Desrochers said she expects salary increases for some departments and that tuition increases could present an opportunity for salary increases, though she is concerned about raising tuition too much. McVeety said that she expects adjunct professors to also retain their current salaries.