CSU-Pueblo releases plan to balance 2014-15 budget deficit

PUEBLO – Colorado State University-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare today revealed the components of a plan to balance the projected $3.3 million deficit projected for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The plan includes a cut in operating budgets as well as elimination of 19 vacant positions and 22 filled positions, fewer than the 50 originally projected.

Flat enrollment projections for 2014-15 and the resulting impact on revenues, plus the decision not to raise tuition for the current year left the University with a $3.3 million deficit for Fiscal Year 2015.

Di Mare announced at an open forum on Friday (January 17) in the Occhiato University Center a reduction plan that she said would “keep the integrity of academic programs and serve our students.” She thanked all groups who had provided recommendations for the plan, including the Co-Chairs of the Academic Senate, the Chair of the American Association of University Professors, Chair of the Chairs Council, and Chair of the University Budget Board (UBB), which was implemented in October 2012 by the Faculty Senate to evaluate all academic programs for efficiencies and redundancies that might save dollars. The UBB made recommendations to the President in April of 2012. The strategies used to reduce the projected $3.3 million dollar deficit include many of those recommendations.

Di Mare said the following strategies selected to reduce the projected deficit were chosen with the intention to “keep the integrity of academic programs and reduce position elimination.”

• Faculty will teach 12 credit hours per semester (reduction in loads for administrative duties and grant opportunities will be taken into consideration)
• Operating dollars at the university will be cut by $400,000 after consultation with all units
• Nineteen positions, currently vacant, will be eliminated
• Twenty-two filled positions will be eliminated (these positions include one-year letters of appointment, retirements, and administrators)
• No tenure track or tenured faculty will be cut
• Restructuring of colleges will be considered with input from the faculty and staff
• Rationales will continue to be made to the community, the system, legislators and CCHE to recognize the fact that CSU-Pueblo is an Hispanic Serving Institution and deserving of support beyond that currently awarded

Di Mare said affected faculty and administrative professionals would be notified between January 20 and January 31 by his/her direct supervisor and Human Resources as well as by a letter of termination. Individuals whose positions are eliminated may remain in their current positions through June 30, 2014, receive occupational counseling, guidance in refining resumes, and help in finding new positions.

She also announced the creation and immediate activation of a new web page called “Budget Central,” which will feature communications from the President, the Chancellor, and the system office regarding the budget scenario, current and future budget documents, as well as resources for employees affected by the budget reduction. Budget Central may be found at https://www.csupueblo.edu/vice-president-for-finance-and-administration/budget-central/index.html 

Di Mare said that once all employees have been informed of position eliminations, the university will post a detailed account of the savings incurred by the various cost saving measures, which positions were eliminated, both vacant and filled, and the university business plan and rationale for eliminating positions in specific areas.