As we have advocated with the governor’s office and our legislators, we have received multiple directives to identify resources that can be reallocated. Moreover, in an era of declining state support, we have to make difficult financial decisions that will impact personnel on campus.

Meanwhile, we must remain mindful of our values as an institution. We value our people. We believe in kindness, civility and respect.

On the basis of these values, we have worked to implement personnel changes for the coming year in a way that shows people the dignity and respect they deserve as valued members of our campus community.

Administrative reductions

The fiscal year 2019 budget will include $1.5 million in administrative reductions. These reductions include two sets of personnel decisions.

The first is a decision we implemented several months ago to centralize college budget officers. These budget officers now report to the chief financial officer instead of college deans.

Through this reorganization, the office of financial services was able to eliminate three positions and reallocate the work associated with those positions to the budget officers and other employees. The three eliminated positions were vacant through attrition, so no employees were laid off as part of this change.

The board discussed the second set of personnel decisions at its February meeting. These decisions involve the elimination of 32 positions—30 staff and two faculty. The staff reductions primarily involve administrative support positions.

Knowing that reductions were probable in the coming year, we have worked throughout the year to hold positions open as employees retired and left the university. The result is that all but seven of the eliminated positions are vacant.

Last week we notified the seven impacted employees that their position would be eliminated on July 2. We notified affected employees as soon as possible to give them time to find other jobs within the university or externally. We extended their positions through the beginning of July to provide an extra month of university benefits after the end of the fiscal year.

During the next four months we will provide assistance to these employees in their job search. We will also allow flexibility in their schedules to interview for other positions.

This will be our only reduction in force for this year’s budgeting process.

Our people are our most important asset as a university. Despite the challenges we face, I am confident that our university and our community can emerge from this era of declining state support stronger and more successful than ever.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!