Despite two state budget cuts in three months, the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs does not expect to shed student or faculty positions next year, according to school officials.
The school will lose about $136,000 as part of $640 million in state budget cuts announced by Gov. Ted Strickland in December. The recent cuts are in addition to $118,000 of reductions that the school sustained in September.
Most campus programs have avoided Gov. Strickland's cuts, but the Voinovich School's state funding comes from multiple Board of Regents line-item appropriations. Line-item appropriations are given to specific programs and are not protected from state cuts.
Despite the seriousness of the cuts, the school has no plans to reduce the number of students involved with the school, said Director Mark Weinberg.
More than 150 Ohio University students from 29 majors are involved with the school. The school cooperates with businesses, local government and regional non-profits to give students leadership and job experience. Students act as consultants and lead projects that help develop businesses and areas in the region. Officials plan to absorb the cuts by limiting travel expenses and by not replacing outgoing students.
The school also has 40 staff members and about 70 faculty members. The school plans to help absorb cuts by not filling vacant staff positions, and does not believe eliminating current faculty and staff jobs will be necessary.
State funding through line-item appropriations is one of the Voinovich School's main sources of financial support. Other resources include grants, contract work and direct funding from OU. The school's projected budget for the 2009 fiscal year, which ends June 30, is expected to be about $6.6 million. Of that number, $1.6 million comes from the university. The school's grants and contracts provide about $2.9 million while state line-item appropriations total $2.1 million.
Amista Lipot, director of communications and development for the school, noted the diversity of the school's sources of funding while acknowledging the impact of the budget cuts.
(The grants and contracts) remain strong
Lipot said, but the appropriations (from the state) allow us leverage to gain additional grants.
School officials are considering finding ways to use federal funds to replace those lost at the state level. A definite proposal has not yet been developed and the school does not know when a plan will be finished. School officials have also considered partnering with other departments to cut costs.
The school is expected to remain financially secure in the 2009 fiscal year, but officials are wary of the unstable economy and what role it might play the following year.
2009 will not be the hardest year Weinberg said We're going to manage this year. We're going to manage these cuts.
eh146106@ohiou.edu
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Erich Hiner
