UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

In mid-May, 2009, I announced to the college community that CALS would be moving ahead with a budget reduction plan in anticipation of reduced state funding during the next biennium. Speaking at a monthly meeting of department chairs, I explained that the plan would include a 2.6 percent across-the-board cut in state revenue for all CALS units, as well as additional strategic cuts.

The decision to move ahead with a plan in anticipation of a state budget reduction was particularly strategic, as it provided departments and centers holding open positions with notice that those positions should remain open in order to meet a budget reduction. This decision likely resulted in avoiding significant involuntary job loss in our college relative to what might have occurred, had we not moved preemptively.

At that time, UW-Madison had already locked in a 1 percent cut for next fiscal year, which CALS absorbed by leaving faculty positions unfilled.

Department chairs and center directors were told they would receive specific budget instructions by the end of May, and those instructions were issued beginning on May 29. Chairs and directors were notified of target reductions for each unit reflecting the CALS' budget principles established through an open forum and shared governance. Fundamentally, these principles aim to protect the quality and impact of the college's core missions and maintain flexibility of the college's resources to take advantage of new efficiencies and opportunities.

Departments and Centers were asked to respond with their written plans by June 15, 2009. For nearly all units, I requested that they target 101-4 dollars for reduction. This request was made because one of the primary principles recommended by the Board of Regents was to minimize, to the extent possible, reductions that directly impact our ability to instruct and serve students.

Although most units were assessed a 2.6% across-the-board reduction, the college tried to minimize this portion of the reduction by including a strategic reductions where appropriate. Towards this end, we identified programs throughout the college that receive significant state funding and that serve a specific and targeted group of stakeholders. Examples of this type of support include 101-4 funded academic staff who support individual faculty research programs, and state funding for centers which are conducting work that is fundable through extramural dollars and other forms of state support. We proposed this strategic reduction to more fairly balance the amount of staff support in our academic departments and to incentivize units to pursue diverse revenue streams for supporting these programs. 

Strategic reductions in the Agriculture Research Stations budget of 10% were included. To meet needs in this area, we propose to find extramural support and other fee-recovery mechanisms to support this critical infrastructure for the college and the state.

Finally, we proposed strategic cuts in administration greater than any imposed elsewhere in the college, the loss of faculty positions, and reduction in a UW-System research grant program in order to meet our reduction target. These three categories alone accounted for approximately 44% of the budget reduction proposed here.

In September, Provost Paul DeLuca and Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell informed me that the CALS Fund 101 Budget Reduction and Reallocation was approved as submitted to the chancellor. We are now beginning the implementation of these reductions.

I know that the budget process has created extraordinary pressures on you and your departments, but I want you to know that I am extremely proud of how this community has responded to these challenging times. Your thoughtful consideration and carful planning have put us in a hopeful position as the economy improves, and for that reason I am very optimistic about our future.

Molly Jahn
Dean and Director

Read: Summary of 2009-2010 Budget Reduction Process for the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences for the CALS APC and Department Chairs and Directors

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

On Monday we received a final determination of the budget reduction for our college. Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell informed me that CALS will be expected to accommodate a 5 percent base reduction in state funding and a reduction of 22.4 FTE in the next biennium. This news is not unexpected — and in fact aligns precisely with the budget reduction planning done to date — however, this situation represents a serious challenge that will compel us as a college community to make difficult decisions. Throughout this process, we have and will remain committed to the principles and practices we have developed as a community.

The instructions I received Monday give us a firm target for a process that, as you know, is already well underway. Our discussions began with the community-wide listening session in January, at which more than 120 faculty, staff and students developed our list of guiding principles and contributed ideas for making CALS a more efficient operation. It has continued through extensive discussions with faculty, staff, students, stakeholders, college leaders, the CALS APC and university administration in which we have asked all to examine the options for
budget savings through strategic realignments and efficiency gains. The process has been further informed by commentary that we have received through our budget web site, which will remain open for dialogue throughout this process.

In the past two weeks, we have been communicating with department chairs and center directors to identify specific strategies that would yield the necessary budget and FTE reductions. The CALS dean's office has been asked to bring forward a plan for review by the university administration by early July. It is clear that any plan we can propose will require real sacrifices and painful changes that will affect every one of us in the CALS community on and off campus. We must admit that in order to preserve the characteristics, commitments and capacities we most value about our community, we will no longer be able to deliver excellence and impact in every area in which we might work. We must now as a community declare the difficult choices about what must be protected to the extent possible, and where resource limitations require us to adjust our commitments. I am confident that if we work through this process with integrity, despite the pressure we are experiencing, we can emerge a stronger college that understands and executes its missions with clearer purpose and maximum return
on investment.

On a personal note, I remain deeply impressed and humbled by the creativity, commitment, kindness, energy and vision of our community. Your dedication to our missions, to our integrity as a community defined by a portfolio of missions and disciplinary strengths, and to each other is a strength that will carry us through these challenging times. As we turn to face these immediate tasks related to final planning and implementation of a major budget reduction, this message conveys my thanks to all of you who have shared your perspectives, your fears and concerns, your pride and passion in your work, and your values and ideas that will guide us through this challenge to the very brightest future possible for our college and all we serve.

Please visit http://budget.wisc.edu/ for additional information on the UW-Madison budget.

Molly Jahn
Dean and Director

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

As you are aware, I announced that CALS is moving ahead with a budget reduction plan in anticipation of reduced state funding during the next biennium. Although CALS does not yet have its permanent reduction amount, substantial conversations with campus leadership suggest a target of at least 4% is likely. Starting this process, on Friday, May 29, I began distributing to department chairs and center directors letters outlining each unit’s share of the reductions.

These letters identified across-the-board and proposed strategic cuts. Strategic cuts were identified in keeping with CALS' budget principles to protect the quality and impact of the college's core missions and maintain flexibility of the college's resources to take advantage of new efficiencies and opportunities.

I have requested a plan for how CALS departments, centers and administrative units will meet these reductions by June 15, 2009.

Molly Jahn
Dean and Director

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

Dean Molly Jahn announced that CALS will move ahead with a budget reduction plan in anticipation of reduced state funding during the next biennium. Speaking at monthly meeting of department chairs, Jahn said the plan will include a 2.6 percent across-the-board cut in state revenue for all CALS units, as well as additional strategic cuts.

Although specific details about UW-Madison's budget for the next biennium have not yet been finalized, Jahn told chairs that it was necessary to plan for reductions as soon as possible to maintain flexibility. She characterized the plan as a first step, emphasizing that additional cuts may be implemented when the campus budget is determined.

UW-Madison has already locked in a 1 percent cut for next fiscal year, which CALS absorbed by leaving faculty positions unfilled. Governor Doyle has recently announced that cuts of up to 5 percent across state agencies may now be necessary due to lower-than-projected tax revenues. The governor's proposed salary freeze and furloughs for state workers would be implemented independently of UW program cuts, Jahn said.

Department chairs and center directors will receive specific budget instructions by the end of May. Jahn said these instructions will identify across-the-board and strategic cuts. Jahn said strategic cuts were identified in keeping with CALS' budget principles to protect the quality and impact of the college's core missions and maintain flexibility of the college's resources to take advantage of new efficiencies and opportunities. Jahn also emphasized that chairs and directors are not authorized to implement budget-related staff reductions at this time and that any plan that involves changes in staffing must be made in consultation with CALS administration.

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

UW Regents to discuss budget allocations this week

As you have heard, the Governor has announced an additional $1.6 billion budget shortfall. Governor Doyle plans to meet with UW System chancellors on Friday, May 15 to discuss the current budget situation and its potential impact. We do not yet have any specific information at this time as to how this shortfall will affect CALS. We will post additional information and answers to frequently asked questions as soon as they become available on the CALS budget web page www.cals.wisc.edu/budget. We recognize this situation creates significant anxiety and confusion. We join our university leadership in our commitment to address your concerns and questions as quickly as possible.

Molly Jahn
Dean and Director