Barker Outlines Next Budget Steps at Year-End Faculty Meeting
May 7, 2009CLEMSON, SC – May 7, 2009 – Clemson has begun implementing recommendations from the 11 budget task forces that met over the last year, President James F. Barker said at the annual year-end faculty meeting Thursday.
Barker said cost-cutting ideas suggested by the task forces are being built into next year’s leaner budget, and he announced formation of three committees to write implementation plans for other revenue-generating proposals. These include improvements to online distance-education programs, continuing and professional education programs and a “wintermester” proposal.
Provost Dori Helms also will recruit a faculty member to lead an implementation team on curriculum and general education.
Barker said there are still too many unknowns to finalize Clemson’s budget and set tuition and fees for next year.
The General Assembly and the governor have not completed work on the state budget. Also, it is unclear whether South Carolina will accept federal stimulus funds for education.
However, “we know that we will have a huge hole in our budget — possibly as large as $41 million,” Barker said.
With cuts of that magnitude, “Clemson must be a leaner institution next year,” he added.
The five colleges have made their cuts and most of their hiring decisions, and deeper cuts are being made in administrative and support units and in Public Service Activities (PSA).
Response to voluntary retirement-incentive offers won’t be known until later in May for eligible employees in the facilities division and in June for PSA personnel.
Barker said Clemson is doing everything possible to protect jobs through attrition and re-assignment. Some temporary or contract employees will not be rehired next year. Other employees will be assigned to different duties.
He made a commitment that communication with affected faculty and staff members will be “in-person and one-on-one.”
“No one should find out about changes in their own job situation through an e-mail or a memo,” he said.
Admitting that “the timing stinks,” Barker reminded faculty and staff that trustees did not pass a budget and set fees in years past until June or July.
On a positive note, Barker said demand for a Clemson education is stronger than ever, so new student enrollment will not be a financial issue next year.
He also said he had held some “extraordinary, candid and productive” meetings with Faculty Senate and Staff Senate leaders on concerns identified in a recent faculty survey, and that a new compensation advisory group has begun meeting to provide advice and increase transparency and communication on that issue.
“Enormous challenges not only test a university’s character, they reveal its character,” Barker said.
He said that Clemson’s character was revealed by three things: support for the Furlough Relief Fund, the hard work of so many on the 11 task forces and the recommitment to academic priorities and students.
“Our sense of community has been thoroughly tested this year, but in the end, I believe it has been strengthened and our future is brighter than it has even been.”