Regents hear campus-level details of budget-balancing measures

Board members talk education quality, recognize 'painful' process

By Jay Dedrick

Presented with details on proposed budget balancing measures at the University of Colorado's campuses, the CU Board of Regents on Thursday acknowledged the necessity of "painful" cuts and predicted more tough choices to be made in the future.

At the April 22 meeting at the Anschutz Medical Campus, Kelly Fox, vice president and chief financial officer, presented an overview of budget measures brought about after severe cuts in state funding. Vice chancellors from the campuses gave details on specific cuts, which totaled $29 million for the current fiscal year and will total $22.2 million for the 2010-11 fiscal year. Details are posted online in this document.

Regent Jim Geddes, R-Sedalia, asked, "At what point do our cuts begin to impact true, concrete, measurable quality? I know that's a moving target. Is there anything you've done in this current round of cuts that will concretely diminish the quality of education on campus?"

"Absolutely," said Ric Porreca, senior vice chancellor and chief financial officer for CU-Boulder. "You can't reduce the operating budget by $22 million and not have impacts. But we tried to keep impacts in the classroom at a minimum."

Because support systems have been reduced, though, and because there will be fewer faculty and graduate students to provide support to students, Porreca said students are likely to notice a change in accessibility. "I think we're trying to find ways to deal with that as best we can."

Porreca spoke of greater reliance on e-business, fewer printed materials and more online training for employees as measures that will result in cost savings. He also mentioned a possible merger of CU-Boulder's ATLAS program and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, which would result in the elimination of one full-time position.
"Where's the cost savings if only one FTE is eliminated?" asked Regent Joe Neguse, D-Boulder.

Porreca said a task force has yet to complete a report on the matter, but that a merger would create efficiencies and savings beyond salary costs.

"We're not creating an additional school ," said CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip DiStefano. "I'd like to see one dean or director (of the new entity)." A merger of the two would result in a new school or department that operates "more efficiently than the two are operating today," he said.

Regent Kyle Hybl, R-Colorado Springs, told the campus representatives that he was proud of and appreciative of the work done on the budget balancing measures.

"We know there's a huge delta we're facing," Hybl said. "You're methodically ... watching out for your constituencies. We know it's painful for you."

Regent Tom Lucero, R-Loveland, asked why all schools and departments couldn't be asked to meet a single break-even budget model; Pam Shockley-Zalabak, chancellor of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, said several variables, including market conditions and student demand, would make it difficult to adopt such a policy.
Neguse said he is concerned that several schools are being asked to take disproportionate cuts, and therefore are requesting greater tuition increases.

"I understand the importance of making surgical cuts, but if we're going to do that, those schools just can't fall back on tuition," Neguse said. "We have to make a choice: We're going to subsidize a school or say we're not willing to subsidize a school. That's a choice the board will be faced with in the coming months."