Dear CFR Faculty and Staff,
As outlined in my communication of September 12, 2003, the College implemented a higher permanent state budget reduction for the 2003-2005 biennium than was required. This action provided an incentive for long range planning for future budget cuts, sequestered funds for potential budget cuts in the second year of the biennium and created a temporary opportunity pool to fund initiatives with potential for positive impacts on the future of the College. Center directors were given the opportunity to propose activities that would recover the amount of the first year's opportunity pool generated from cuts in their centers, and three of them did so.
The total annual budget in the opportunity pool from permanent reductions throughout the College is $129,072 (plus staff benefits). Of the first year amount, approximately $56,000 has been reallocated back to requesting centers. This leaves approximately $73,000 in permanent funds to be reallocated on a one-time temporary basis and used before the end of the biennium. Should there be a budget cut in the second year of the 2003-2005 biennium, the $129,072 second year permanent funds will be a source of needed funds. Any funds remaining in the second year after any mandated permanent budget reductions will also be available for expenditure prior to June 30, 2005. No information regarding the possibility or degree of future budget reductions has been made available to the College at this time, so the amount available from the second year is between $0 and $129,072.
At the most optimistic level, the College may have as much as $202, 072 of biennial funds available for reallocation. These funds are part of the temporary fund pools (see last paragraph of my January 19, 2004 statement) available to assist efforts to refocus, refine and leverage the future of the College. The sum of these pools is insufficient to provide long-term solutions to any of the challenges the College faces, but it can provide funding for transition and change as we strive to transform our programs to ensure high quality and relevance to the UW, our constituents, and our goals.
I would like to engage the College community in further discussion on where the future of the College lies and what immediate and near-term steps must be taken to move toward that future. Temporary funds can be used to support compelling activities that strengthen the College in desired areas. In the next few weeks, I will be asking the associate deans to initiate conversations with you in their areas of responsibility, Steve West on academics and Bob Edmonds on research, and to develop proposals for the strategic use of temporary funds to promote the mission, vision and future of the College.
Permanent funds remaining in this budget cut opportunity pool after any mandated cuts in 2004-2005 will be available for permanent or temporary reallocation in the next biennium based on the needs of the College overall.
The Dean with the advice of the Dean's Council and the EFC will make the allocation decisions.
B. Bruce Bare, Dean