| April
23, 2003
This week
the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee began
work to develop its budget plan. We already know Gov. Doyle’s
proposal and its potential impact on us. I am now writing to
all members of the university community to provide an update
on our budget situation, to explain where we are today and to
provide a context of what lies ahead. Later in this message
I refer you to more detailed information on our Web site so
that you may gain a more complete understanding of our actions
and progress.
It has not
been business as usual during the current biennium. It will
certainly not be business as usual during the next two academic
years as we plan and implement what is likely to be a $5 million
budget reduction. Since the fall we have been preparing in earnest
for this magnitude of a budget reduction while adhering to a
set of budget-guiding principles. Prior to the fall we wisely
began positioning our campus to soften the blow in the coming
biennium.
The budget
plan we have been developing is a snapshot guide at a point
in time, subject to revisions and the final decisions of the
legislature and Gov. Doyle. As a result of our sound budget-guiding
principles and our diligent, careful work, I believe we are
well prepared to deal with the challenging times ahead. For
example, over the most recent two-year period, we have not filled
several key positions in anticipation of coming budget reductions.
As a result, we are hopeful we will be able to avoid layoffs.
We also have been prudent in the use of our university planning
reserve funds. These actions and others will enable us to minimize
the pain.
Campuswide
consultations have been conducted in a variety of formats throughout
the year. I call your attention to one final budget forum planned
for this school year and invite you to join me, Provost Satz,
Vice Chancellor Soll and others to further discuss our current
situation. That session will be held:
Monday,
May 5, 2003, 4 p.m., Schofield Auditorium
I direct
your attention to budget detail information that has just been
added to the prominent State Budget Update link on the UW-Eau
Claire home page. The information complements and supplements
this e-mail message and includes:
Our Web
site has been continually updated with information that should
be helpful to you as the budget management process unfolds.
We will continue the process of updating the Web site as additional
information becomes available. In the meantime, during the latter
part of May and into the summer, we will continue to work very
hard to refine and enhance our budget plan while continuing
to actively advocate for the best possible budget proposal with
our legislators and the governor.
DJM/sjj
Judy Berthiaume
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 201
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu
Updated:
April 23, 2003
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