Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

INSIDE IOWA STATE
October 12, 2001

Geoffroy shares plan to meet part of mid-year cut

by Anne Krapfl
Postponed construction projects and furloughs for employees are among the strategies that university leaders have identified for meeting an $18.56 million mid-year budget deappropriation proposed last month by Gov. Tom Vilsack.

After working with the three vice presidents and Provost Rollin Richmond, and with recommendations from the Task Force on Strategic Effectiveness and Budget Priorities, President Gregory Geoffroy announced the plan Oct. 9.

The proposal includes approximately $13.6 million in one-time actions to:

Delay building improvements to first floor Pearson Hall, the last phase of the Beardshear Hall renovation and construction of a north campus child care center intended to replace the facilities in Pammel Court. It also would remove some university funds from construction of community centers in the Union Drive and University Village residence neighborhoods.
Use funds that became available because the university's share of health insurance cost increases weren't as high as projected.
Use some of the revenue from increased tuition and increased student enrollment.

For the approximate $5 million reduction that remains, Geoffroy said the task force and his cabinet members have recommended, and he has concurred, that furloughs for faculty and staff be instituted sometime during this academic year -- but only if the size of the actual state deappropriation necessitates it. The details of a furlough plan still are being worked out, if it is necessary to use that option. "These are one-time actions that will meet the deappropriation goal without causing the damage that another across-the-board cut would," Geoffroy said. It also defers permanent budget reductions until FY03. He noted that this cost-saving proposal may change, depending on state revenue levels in the next few months and the final decision on the deappropriation amount by the Legislature in January.