Office of the Chancellor
Plans for Proposed 10% Appropriations Reduction
July 23, 2009
UNCG has submitted a proposed plan to reduce our state appropriations by 10%. As the General Assembly works toward passage of a final budget, this plan will enable us to quickly administer our budget reduction plan. This is extremely difficult especially as we are expecting record enrollment for the Fall semester. Not only will students likely notice a reduction in course sections and larger class sizes, but they also may incur higher tuition mandated by the General Assembly.
The proposed reduction for UNCG for 2009-10 totals $17,319,832. In order to protect our academic mission to the greatest extent possible, the percentage of reduction to Academic Affairs was lower than the other Divisions, yet still totaled $11,571,251.
Should the 10% reduction materialize, as many as possible of the positions eliminated will be current vacant positions. However, it will be necessary to eliminate some filled positions as there are not enough vacant positions to meet a 10% reduction in funding. SPA position reductions will follow the state's Reduction in Force (RIF) guidelines. We will do our best to minimize the actual loss of filled positions, while keeping our core mission at the forefront.
I discussed with the Budget Sounding Board and used the following guidelines to make these extremely difficult decisions.
- Proposed several vertical cuts (program eliminations) in keeping with the Board of Governors' Values Statement. There were no across the board reductions.
- Asked the Provost and Vice Chancellors to work with their senior leaders to propose reductions based on a detailed examination of their budgets.
- Paid particular attention to UNCG's commitment to protect academic instruction.
- Met with the individual Vice Chancellors to discuss their division proposals for reductions.
- Met with the Provost and Vice Chancellors jointly to discuss which priorities in each others' divisions should be protected to the extent possible.
- Prioritized the reductions as required by General Administration, and consistent with UNCG's Budget Principles, reaffirmed by the Budget Sounding Board and the Values Statement of the Board of Governors, which meant placing program eliminations and reductions to Centers and Institutes at the top of the list.
As the General Assembly has not yet passed a 2009-2011 budget, the ultimate reductions we will be required to absorb are unknown. However, the magnitude of the proposal has required our leaders to give serious consideration to how each dollar in their budgets is spent.
At this time it is important to remember that the General Assembly has not completed its work nor has President Bowles sent his reduction allocation by campus to the Board of Governors for approval. President Bowles has also indicated that General Administration will review each campus plan before reductions are implemented. We will continue to keep the campus community apprised of our efforts and the ongoing information we receive from the State and General Administration regarding the budget.
As we approach what undoubtedly will be a difficult and stressful year, I am reminded of the rich history of this university, the community we represent, and the students we serve. I remain convinced we will come through this period an even stronger and more cohesive community. Let us support one another as we address present challenges and shape future opportunities. I am interested in hearing from you about questions and issues you would like me to address in my remarks at the State of the Campus Address on Wednesday, August 19 at 10:30 a.m. Please feel free to contact me at lpbrady@uncg.edu.
A link to the prioritized list and description of the proposed reductions based on information currently available to us is found here: http://fsv.uncg.edu/budgetcentral/10_proposal.pdf.