COE BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
January 27, 2017
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Hill 314
Attendees: Linda Garrison-Kane, Becky Swearingen, Kim Dubree, Steve Jones, Brittany Wittenberg, David Hough, Teresa Steele, James Satterfield, Denise Cunningham, Janice Duncan, Abby Burch, Cathy Pearman, Jill Martin, Jon Turner, Jim Meyer
The meeting was called to order at 8:00 a.m. by Dean Hough. The first item discussed was a proposal from Jane Ward to develop a Future Rural Teacher Program. Its premise is to pair up an MSU COE alum to student teachers as mentors to recruit new students. Since the proposal does not requests funds, the committee recommended the Leadership Council review the proposal. Dean Hough agreed to share it with them on Thursday, February 2, 2017, noting he would invite Jane to attend to answer questions.
The committee then discussed ways to address the 5% and 10% budget cut scenarios requested of all cost centers. The agenda item regarding funds to support department/college strategic plans was folded into this discussion. The committee was given a spreadsheet that shows the breakdown of the budget by categories such as Faculty salaries, Staff salaries, Other Personnel, and Operating Expenses. The dean was not given a date that the proposed cuts are due. He pointed out that we may use one-time funds for the FY17 cuts, but the FY18 cuts had to be from ongoing funds. Dean Hough told the group that there were four scenarios that need to be addressed: FY17 5% cut, FY17 10% cut, FY18 5% cut and FY18 10% cut. He gave the committee examples of areas that could be considered for the cuts, such as Per Course and Student Teacher Supervision. He shared the amount of funds used for Per Course for Fall 2016 and Spring 2017, to illustrate the amount of savings that could be obtained from those funds, approximately $400,000, as the allocation is currently $394,335.00 and the College has overspent by $62,867.00. He also pointed out that if every faculty member took on a student teacher COE could see a savings of approximately $32,000 in Student Teacher Supervision funds. He informed the group that he has placed on hold the current staff search for the Marketing, Recruitment and Alumni Relations replacement position, and has put the searches on hold for three elementary faculty positions. Dean Hough told the group that he intends to cover the FY17 5% cut with carryforward funds, if this is allowed. Even so, we are currently about $100,000 short in one-time funds for that purpose and $600,000 short of a 10% cut at this point in time.
Dean Hough asked the committee to discuss suggestions on how we could come up with permanent cuts if required. Some ideas that came out of the discussion were larger class sizes and fewer sections, having faculty teach more credit hours across the board, having just professors teach more hours since they were already tenured, not having or paying Program Coordinators, and furloughs. It was thought that furloughs would have the most impact on the employees, as they would be losing income and that not using Per Course funds might have the least impact. It was pointed out during the discussion of teaching more hours that some faculty members already have a heavier work load than others and that only those with lighter loads should be given more hours to teach. It was agreed that everyone should have a full load and teach full sections with the exception of one Budget Committee member who expressed displeasure with that approach. At the end of the meeting the committee was asked to list the suggestions that had the most merit and prioritize them. It was stated that these should be taken back to the departments to discuss. Number 1 was to make sure that everyone is working at a full load, number 2 was for faculty to take on more teaching and use less per course funds, number 3 was to increase class sizes and reduce number of and periodicity of sections strategically, and final item was furloughs. It was pointed out that furloughs would have to be a university-wide decision.
Meeting was adjourned at 9:05 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Teresa Steele, Budget Officer
Next meeting: February 17, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. in Hill 314.