Chancellor Rebecca Blank told staff it is going to be a “tough year” when discussing finances at an Academic Staff meeting in Bascom Hall Monday.
“With no additional funding from the state this year, we will have to implement the budget cuts that were handed down to us two years ago,” Blank said.
Blank described the differences the university could experience when facing financial challenges. She said she plans to speak with the Board of Regents about raising tuition for both professional schools and out-of-state undergraduates this June in anticipation of the new fiscal year.
All staff will receive a pay raise this year, but Blank said there is no room in the budget for targeted pay increases from the critical compensation fund.
Some staff members expressed concern about past and future layoffs, which Blank said could be better communicated externally.
The Chancellor also proposed implementing a new campus budget model, recommended by the Budget Model Development Committee students and staff, to utilize existing revenues.
The model would distribute funds to schools and colleges, leaving deans to make the decisions about where the money is allocated within the schools.
“Even if we were rolling in money, with lots of good revenues coming in, we still should be discussing a new budget model to be a more nimble, flexible and effective university in the way we use dollars,” Blank said.
Blank concluded her speech by addressing the Ad Hoc Diversity Planning Committee’s 30 recommendations to promote diversity on campus and announcing the university’s commitment to improving campus safety by combating sexual assault.
