| News from Arkansas State University For Release: February 21, 2003 |
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| News from Arkansas State University For Release: February 21, 2003 |
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University Communications Office Jonesboro, Arkansas Staff: Tom Moore Virginia Adams 870-972-3056 fax 870-972-3069 Send mail: ASUnews@astate.edu Links: List of News/Announcements Upcoming Public Events About ASU ASU Home Page |
President
Wyatt outlines ASU response to latest state budget cut Dr. Les Wyatt, president of Arkansas State University, today met with the University Planning committee (UPC) to review the university's strategy for dealing with the latest announced state budget cut. The UPC includes senior administrators, along with representation from student, faculty and staff groups. It was as follows: STATEMENT FROM DR. LES WYATT, PRESIDENT: The revised revenue forecast, announced Wednesday by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, will have significant impact on Arkansas State University. State government’s budgets must be reduced by more than $62 million. However, because of the planning and budgeting work that our officers perform on an ongoing basis, we believe we can minimize the impact on the students, faculty and staff of the university. At the Jonesboro campus, our share of this state budget reduction will amount to approximately $840,000. We will make these cuts, as will other state institutions, because we are obligated to share the responsibility for dealing with the economic downturn that currently affects our state and our nation. In consultation with the budget planning committee, I have chosen to implement a budget reduction management strategy that identifies several budget sources for reduction or elimination: -- A selected hiring freeze will be implemented on filling vacant positions, with exceptions made only in the most critical positions. We do not anticipate any lay-offs as a result of this most recent budget adjustment. -- Funds previously designated for the Career Ladder Incentive Program (CLIP) will be re-directed toward offsetting a portion of the revenue reduction. The CLIP program provides a one-time financial incentive to qualified employees to further develop their job-related skills and knowledge. While our employees will continue to pursue professional development, the incentive funds will not be available this year. -- A portion of the technology fee, $2 per credit hour, will be re-directed into general operations of the university. The Board of Trustees had previously approved this transfer if and when it became necessary, so no further Board action will be required. -- Market equity adjustments, a mechanism that has been used in the past to bring salaries of those with certain skills and knowledge into line with job market conditions, will be eliminated. In the meantime, we continue to seek the greatest possible support for the educational enterprise at Arkansas State University through the Legislature, which is currently in session in Little Rock. -- One of our highest priorities is to find new funds for a salary increase for faculty and staff; no such increase was awarded for the current year. -- A second priority is restoration of funding lost through this cut and budget cuts from the last fiscal year. These cuts now total approximately $4 million. -- A third priority is attaining equity in the amount of state funding per student, as compared to our peers in Arkansas. # # # |
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