Some Ohio University faculty members criticized the administration’s decision to distribute the most severe budget cuts to academic colleges at yesterday’s budget forum.
OU’s academic colleges overall must absorb a 4.47 percent budget cut next fiscal year. Each college must cut its budget by a different percentage, as opposed to an across-the-board reduction. Support units — including the president’s office and Alden Library — will only cut 4.34 percent from their budgets if the suggested reduction targets are implemented.
OU is working to plug a projected $11.6 million budget hole next year, caused by reduced state funding, increasing health care and utility costs and employee salary increases. The university released budget reduction targets for individual units Friday.
Stephen Golding, vice president for Finance and Administration, defended the decision in front of a crowd of about 30 by explaining that in past years, support units have shouldered most of the cuts.
“There is a concern that there is less capacity to do more cutting on the administrative side without necessarily crossing significant degradation of the service,” he said.
Golding’s office would take a 2.91 percent, or $1.17 million, cut next fiscal year under the current proposed reduction targets. Last year, the Office of Finance and Administration received a 6.31 percent, or $1.98 million, budget cut.
One faculty member maintained that cutting academic colleges more than support units is “unwise.”
“From (Golding’s) point of view, which is outside of academics, he looks at it and sees he has trouble in his portfolio,” said Ken Brown, an OU chemistry professor. “He ain’t hearing the complaints from the academic side.”
Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit emphasized all units across the university will have to absorb some level of funding reduction.
“I think the cuts are difficult for all of the units,” she said. “Quite frankly, nobody has been spared.”
Administrators also outlined a plan to have faculty and staff pay parking and increased health insurance costs next year, which would be offset by salary increases.
OU wants Transportation and Parking Services to operate as an auxiliary without additional funding from OU’s General Fee, and one way to raise revenue is through requiring faculty and staff to pay for parking.
Currently, faculty and staff do not pay for parking passes, and although the administration might implement a new fee next year, salary increases funded by OU would cover the cost.
Employee raises would also offset rising health care costs for faculty and staff, estimated to total $2.5 million. Total compensation is expected to increase by about 3 percent next year.
The second budget forum will take place today from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Walter Hall Rotunda.
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