CSN President Dr. Michael Richards held a College budget meeting Friday to give the campus what information CSN has about the budget crisis and what it will mean for the coming fiscal year and the next biennium.
Held in the D building on the Charleston campus, the room was packed with faculty and staff as well as local media.
Many faculty and staff expressed concerns about layoffs, particularly for CSN’s 860 plus part-time faculty. Dr. Richards assured the room that the course schedule in place and the tuition and fees set by the Board of Regents would remain as is for the next academic year, but stressed that downsizing would have to occur if the institution is forced to cut 14 percent from its biennial budget, which will be passed by the 2009 Legislature.
“A 14 percent cut would devastate CSN and wipe out our access mission,” Dr. Richards told the group.
Regardless of whether lawmakers decide to take COLA at their special session scheduled for this week, he said if a 14 percent cut to next biennium’s budget is ordered than layoffs will be a necessity.
The College is considering about 45 different strategies that could be employed should that occur, including furloughs and downsizing. In deliberating what strategies to employ he said will focus on preserving resources that impact our core academic mission and quality instruction.
Although CSN cut 4.5 percent from this biennium’s budget in January, a plan approved by the Board of Regents that included a one year, $2.75-surcharge per credit for students, Dr. Richards said he expected the state will require further cuts for the next fiscal year.
“We think it will be an additional cut of $2.2 million,” he said.
The College is prepared to cut about 2 percent of its budget the next fiscal year, a feat it was able to do through cuts to administration. “Our class schedule (for the next academic year) holds,” Dr. Richards stressed.
Faculty and staff had questions about the buyout program announced earlier in the week for non-classified program. John Mueller, executive director, said those with questions not answered in the FACT sheet his office e-mailed that week can contact him directly.
He said the program will provide two lump sums to those who accept it, one payment a week or so after the agreement is signed, the other on Jan. 1, 2009.
Dr. Sondra Cosgrove also spoke at the meeting. She said she had received more than 100 e-mails from concerned faculty, who stated they would give up their COLA to prevent layoffs. She urged anyone struggling financially, or anyone with concerns or suggestions to contact her. “We will represent all faculty.”
Dr. Richards emphasized throughout the discussion that the numbers from the state regarding the deficit, projected cuts change “almost every four hours.” As such, he said he has tried to limit his communications to faculty and staff about the budget when concrete facts are available.
He urged everyone to be calm and patient during the approaching academic year and also urged everyone to send letters to their legislative representatives and the governor to safeguard funding for CSN and higher education. |
