University of Memphis faculty met Thursday with University officials to discuss options for budget cuts.
Provost Ralph Faudree and Charles Lee, vice-president for Business and Finance, held a general faculty meeting to discuss the budget. University of Memphis President Shirley Raines was not in attendance due to meetings she was attending in Nashville.
It has been “mandated by TBR (Tennessee Board of Regents) to look at contingency plans for looking at cuts,” Faudree said, adding that a lot of decisions have to be made.
TBR asked for a 5 percent impoundment for this financial year. An 8.8 percent base cut, nearly $10 million, has been requested for future allocations from the state.
Many rumors have been circulating among students, faculty and staff concerning budget cuts, including one that summer classes will not be held.
“We are not going to kill all rumors today, but we will kill some of them,” Faudree said, reiterating that nothing is final or has been decided upon.
TBR is not asking for the cuts to be implemented immediately but to instead be used as a contingency plan.
“They are trying to get a feel for where we could look for those resources (to cut),” Faudree said. “Everything has to be considered.”
Faudree listed things such as travel, staff positions, departmental operating costs and maintenance of facilities as possible items to be re-budgeted.
“Literally everything is on the table,” Faudree said.
TBR has given only a short turn-around time frame for budget cuts, which makes it seem like they are not trying to get the full input from The University community, Faudree said, adding that they would like to minimize the impact on education, research, outreach and services to the community.
The idea of cutting the number of classes offered in summer school was again broached, yet Faudree also mentioned cutting course offerings for fall and spring. Faudree explained that if only 11 students take a class in the fall and in the spring, the class could be offered at only one time in either the fall or spring with a larger class of 22 students.
Faudree also said that an 18 percent tuition hike would produce the $10 million needed, but no tuition hike has been approved.
Faudree was asked whether the necessary cuts would be accomplished by simply cutting the edges of the budget.
“I think we enter this process pretty lean,” he answered. “I don’t think cutting around the edges is really possible, we’re going to have to cut the flesh side.”
The ultimate decision of what will be cut rests on the president of The University.
Jim Redmond, chair of the Journalism Department, discussed the problems with public relations on the budget issue, saying the cuts are bad and that needs to be simply put and not glossed over.
However, Faudree and others in the audience said that public confidence in The University needs to be maintained or students will choose to attend schools elsewhere, which continues to hurt the revenue of The University.
“Having the meeting is very helpful,” said Bob Hetherington, chair of the Theatre and Dance Department. “It makes it a community problem instead of a local problem.”
However, Hetherington said the meeting did not help to quell his fears.
William Akey, assistant vice-provost of Enrollment Services, said the more people know and the more information they have clarifies the issue.
“We’re better off with participation,” Akey said.
Lee said the meeting gave individuals the opportunity to express views.
“Budget cuts create anxieties which are eliminated by communication,” Lee said.
