Campus cuts not desirable but ‘doable,’ chancellor says

CU-Colorado Springs will continue to move forward despite reductions in state funding, Chancellor Pam Shockley told a full-house crowd attending a Jan. 28 all-campus forum in the University Center.

Shockley reviewed the events of the past few weeks where members of the Colorado Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee briefly considered cuts of up to 49 percent in the state appropriations received by CU. The committee later settled on a 12 percent reduction.

“We will not go forward as fast as I would like,” Shockley said. “But we will move forward. It is simply not in my nature to retreat.”

For the roughly more than 100 people in attendance, Shockley reviewed events of the past month as well as plans to cope with budget reductions that now hover at 12 percent or about $3 million. That figure could increase as legislators continue attempts to balance the state’s budget.

“I never thought I’d be telling anyone that I’m happy about a 12 percent budget cut,” Shockley said. “I am not happy about this but we have moved from what would have been devastating to what is doable.”

Shockley credited sound fiscal management by members of the campus community as well as extraordinary efforts to accommodate additional students for the campus’ ability to weather cuts in the 12 percent range.

“This is doable but there’s clearly a difference between that and desirable,” Shockley said. “We are the only four-year institution in the state that has not frozen positions or instituted layoffs. The credit for that goes not to three or four people but rather what several hundred people have collectively done.”

By utilizing tuition funds realized from larger-than-expected summer, fall and spring student enrollments, as well as by using carry forwards and utility surpluses, CU-Colorado Springs should be able to complete the fiscal year without interruption to salaries, programs and people.

To deal with the cuts in fiscal year 2003, campus departments are being asked to conserve fiscal resources by delaying expenses where possible and holding any vacant positions open an extra month. It is possible that those practices, and more severe measures, will be needed in fiscal year 2004, which begins July 1.

Shockley advised that next year’s budget may be smaller than the current year and that neither faculty nor staff should count on salary or department budget increases. The tradeoff is that she hopes to avoid layoffs.

“I have three assumptions that I’m working with,” Shockley said. “They are that we do not have enough faculty, that we do not have enough staff, and that while enrollment growth can be painful, growth contributed to our relative stability in tumultuous times.”

Multiple scenarios are under review and will be shared with the University Budget Advisory Committee, Faculty Assembly, Dean’s Council, Staff Council and the Professional Exempt Staff Association before a final decision.

“This will not be a hidden process,” Shockley said.  “We can make it with a lot of difficulty, by using constraint and by working together.”

Shockley asked all members of the campus community to take whatever steps are possible to reduce spending, including seemingly small items such as shutting down computers at night and turning out lights. Other cost-cutting or revenue-enhancing ideas should be forwarded to respective faculty or staff association or to a UBAC or campus administration member.

“It’s the best and worst of times,” Shockley said. “The best of it is that we’re growing and we’re in a desirable place. The worst is that we are victims of a state and national economy that is faltering.