Planning & Budget Committee – Report to the Faculty Senate

April 1, 2009

Committee Members:

Larry Spurgeon, President of Faculty Senate, Chair

Deborah Soles, President-Elect of Faculty Senate

Silvia Carruthers, Past President of Faculty Senate

Terence Decker, Business

Peer Moore-Jansen, Social Sciences

Will Klunder, Humanities

Annette LeZotte, Fine Arts

Julie Scherz, Health Professions

Nan Myers, Library

Mark Schneegurt, Math/Natural Sciences

Mehmet Yildirim, Engineering

Meeting Schedule for 2008/2009:

The Planning & Budget Committee met three times during the Fall 2008 semester, and three times during the Spring 2009 semester thus far.  It is anticipated that the committee will meet one or two more times before the end of the academic year.

Committee Activities:

The Planning & Budget Committee is charged with a number of things, including:

-          Identifying and defining the most appropriate avenues for faculty participation in the planning and budget processes

-          Advising the President of the Faculty Senate and the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Research on faculty concerns and priorities related to budget policies

-          Reviewing all matters relating to university planning and budgets, and expenditures, including budget policies and assumptions

-          Developing the faculty perspective on strategic issues and direction of the University, through direct participation with the  Provost and other constituencies

-          Review the revision/reallocation process that occurs after the legislature determines the actual budget allocations to the University

    In the past, this committee has been relatively inactive.  Its work has centered on meeting a couple of times during the year to receive reports from the Vice President of Administration and Finance about the state of the budget as it goes through the process.

This year the committee has met with the Provost several times.  Early in the year, in conjunction with the Provost, it was decided that the committee would serve as an advisory group in consulting on budgeting and planning issues.  Our role is to provide faculty input from the university perspective.  We have been provided with a considerable amount of information, and we have had some very stimulating and open discussions about strategic issues of importance to the university as a whole. 

We plan to continue in this capacity as the university moves forward in addressing potential budget cuts in the coming years, and in the “rebuilding” process.