Ohio University's scholarly publishing arm will likely lose a quarter of its current operating budget over the next two years, university officials said.
The OU Press, which publishes scholarly articles and books for university faculty across the nation, received a $361,686 subsidy from the general fund this year, about a quarter of its approximate $1.5 million annual operating budget.
According to the Feb. 15 draft of the provost's budget reduction scenarios, the OU Press could lose 50 percent of that subsidy next year and the remaining half the following year, said Sheila Schultz, budget manager and analyst in the provost's office. Cuts to the press are part of a plan to slash $13.75 million from OU's $684 million budget.
The office plans to bridge the OU Press next year, providing $180,843 - half the current subsidy - in carry-forward funds so that it does not lose its entire subsidy at once, she said.
The intention is not to end the press
said Pam Benoit, executive vice president and provost.
The university will calculate final cuts in mid-March, she said.
David Sanders, director of the OU Press since 1996, said he has not seen a financial situation this bad during his time in Athens. Even this year's 13 percent cut did not force the company to lay off employees, he said.
We've always done a lot with a little but this will be a drastic cut and one that we'll have to really think about the long-range implementation Sanders said.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that the subsidy goes toward employee salaries and benefits, he said. Without that extra $361,686, the company will have to lay off a portion of its 11-person workforce.
That's very difficult
not only on a human scale but because we still have work to do
Sanders said. If you deplete your ranks
the books won't get the same level of treatment.
He said the OU Press is very highly regarded in academia, and the respect for and desire to publish with the press could suffer with the lack of employees.
If we have to devalue that
that (high standard) will be less likely to be the case
and (authors) might think twice about coming to us
he said.
The press makes about $1 million a year in revenue from book sales, but with a smaller subsidy sales will decrease, he said.
It will undoubtedly mean we will publish fewer books
Sanders said.
The OU Press is the largest scholarly press in Ohio, printing between 40 and 50 books every year, he said. Only 4 to 5 percent of the authors come from OU, which Sanders called the nature of scholarly publishing.
Authors generally choose university presses that have renowned specializations, he said. In OU's case, its African Studies and Appalachia/Midwest series are well respected and sought-after.
Former OU President John C. Baker founded the OU press in 1947, but the company didn't hit its stride until then-President Vernon Alden formally organized it in 1964, Sanders said.
