As the end of the school year approaches, Hamline administration is attempting to balance the budget with minimal effects to students.
Around $2.5 million has been cut from the budget for fiscal year 2012; however, $1 million remains to be found. According to Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Mike Reynolds, that money will be difficult to find until the finances of the university are no longer in flux.
?It?s very difficult to get a firm handle on it,? Reynolds said, but he believes a more solid plan will be decided on by the beginning of June.
Vice President for Finance Doug Anderson said that the university came up with the first $2.5 million by leaving positions open rather than hiring, among other things.
?We have utilized a number of ways to adjust our resource use [expenses] to stay in line with the expected revenue [income],? Anderson wrote in an e-mail.
The Budget Advisory Committee, which is composed of the vice presidents of Hamline and several faculty representatives, is currently working on the decision of where to find the money. Although Reynolds said the two groups in the committee might not always agree on where the money should come from, they have made one important agreement.
?The overall goal is to determine the good of the university,? Reynolds said.
According to Anderson, the Budget Advisory Committee is currently meeting once a week to discuss Hamline?s financial situation. He said the community has also had opportunities to take part in the discussions during faculty meetings and finance forms.
Reynolds said the committee is mulling over several different options for the remaining $1 million. These include furloughs, or temporary unpaid leaves, 10 percent cuts across the board for every department and early retirement plans. In fact, Reynolds said money has already been budgeted for fiscal year 2013 based on how many faculty members Hamline believes will accept the offer of early retirement. He also said, however, he does not think professors will end up with a bigger course load, which was an issue raised at the annual Conversation with the President in March.
Faculty, for the most part, are reacting well to the budget cuts, Reynolds said. Although they are upset with the fact that Hamline is again having financial difficulty, he said there is a spirit of community as well. Where one might expect to find competition among departments, Reynolds said each one is doing its part to make sure no one loses staff members.
?Everyone comes to the table and says, ?How do we make this work??? Reynolds said.
Despite the efforts, however, Reynolds said he does not believe the cuts will prevent terminations within the CLA.
?Firing is likely to occur regardless. The goal is just to minimize it,? Reynolds said.
Anderson did not wish to comment on whether or not terminations will occur.
Listed in the frequently asked questions document on Hamline?s Finance webpage are goals for the fiscal year 2013 budget work, including ?develop revenue budgets for FY13 that are realistic and developed by academic leaders, marketing and admissions staffs ? new financial aid strategies focused marketing efforts, and other inquiry generation and admissions techniques.?
As for solving the budget gap this year, the document cites, ?other adjustments may include benefit changes, opportunities to take time off without pay, and increasing certain other revenue.?
Another important facet of the budgeting process is the Budget Advisory Committee, whose role is currently being revised after concerns were raised to President Linda Hanson. The role of the BAC is to provide advice, feedback and guidance on the budgeting process to the finance office. According to the frequently asked questions document on the Finance webpage, ?the president has requested BAC provide a recommendation on how the expansion of the committee work, membership, and its mode of operating to improve effectiveness and involvement. A task force of BAC is working on this currently.?
Dean of the CLA John Matachek said several concerns were raised about the time commitments of the committee as well as the chair being a member of the administration.
?The past two years, there?s been a growing recognition that the committee hasn?t had the time to do the work at the level of detail that?s required ? There?s been some concern raised [that] it might not be the best idea to have the CFO or a VP chair the committee, at least in part because those folks have more access to and understanding of the information than the rank and file of the committee,? Matachek said. ?Members of the committee might feel like they aren?t fully informed ? It?s just not designed in a way that?s going to meet the needs of everyone sitting at the table.?
President Hanson gave free reign to the budget advisory committee to reorganize itself according to Matachek. A task force was formed, of which Matachek was a part, to go to various constituency groups in order to collect input on the functions of the BAC. Matachek said Anderson was an advocate for the reorganization of the BAC.
?He?s actually a big proponent of recognizing that. It hasn?t been working as well as it needs to,? Matachek said.
Matachek said the reorganization of the BAC should be complete by the end of this year.
Anyone wishing to obtain information about Hamline?s finances can attend finance forums, as well as look at the Budget Advisory Committee?s minutes on the Hamline website.
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