$15.8m in reductions outlined by chancellor

by Sarah R. Buchholz, Chronicle staff

fter nearly two weeks of posting numbers and receiving and responding to comments on his projected budget cuts, Chancellor John V. Lombardi announced the final reductions in non-academic budget cuts. The first round of cuts, commonly referred to as "Category I," which includes estimated savings from early retirement, was finalized June 3.

    Final cuts in "Category II" were posted June 10.

     Total projected savings in Category I included $3,117,303 in program cuts, $950,000 in faculty retirements, and $1,750,000 in staff retirements, according to Lombardi's posting at www.umass.edu/budget. Reductions in these categories are projected to be $5,817,303.

     Cuts in Category II totaled $10,000,510.

     The remaining cuts, to be made in the academic areas, were scheduled to be announced late Wednesday as the Chronicle went to press. These cuts will make up the difference between the $15,817,813 from the first two categories and the remaining deficit once the state has given the University its budget and decided whether to approve tuition-retention and once the actual savings from early retirements, approval of a possible mid-year fee increase by the trustees and other variables have been determined, sometime early in the next fiscal year.

     Some departments, such as the centers for Computer-Based Instructional Technology (CCBIT), for Energy Efficiency, and for Real Time and Intelligent Complex Computing (CRIIC), Mass Ventures, the Statistical Consulting Center, the Translation Center, the University Club, the University Press and WFCR, had all University support removed. Some were affected more than others.

     WFCR's general manager Martin Miller said that the roughly 3 percent cut to his station would have to be made up by the station in other ways, including its four annual fund drives.

     Rick Adrion, Computer Science professor and director of CRIIC, also said the cut to the center could inconvenience the operation but wouldn't present major financial problems. Adrion said his center functions as a start-up place for other centers and that the removal of $70,000 in funding might affect the birth of one operation.

     "We'll just be a little pressed," he said.

     David Hart, executive director of CCBIT, which delivers homework programs through technology to large classes in 17 departments, said his center's grant funding depends on a steady base of campus revenue.

     "If we don't have the campus support, we can't generate the grant funding," he said. Hart said the center is looking into alternative sources of funds for his unit, including the possibility of having students using the Online Web-based Learning services, which he administers, pay for the program.

     "We may be told we can't do that," he said. "In that case, our hands are tied."

     Dennis Scott, manager of the University Club, said the complete withdrawal of campus funding will likely result in increased dues and reduced benefits for members of the club. He said the club will receive some support through Dining Services, while it implements a new marketing program designed to increase its revenue.

     Frank Hugus, professor of German Languages and Literatures and interim director of the International Programs Office (IPO), said most of the $3,163,728 additional revenue listed on the Category II chart for IPO simply passes through the office to foreign universities, making the $240,000 cut to IPO's budget "serious."

     "According to our bookkeepers, the amount of the total campus support of $388,000 is approximately the amount needed to support the efforts of the Foreign Student Office alone," he said. Removing nearly two-thirds of the support will require IPO to find other sources of revenue to support the gap in the Foreign Student Office and to find monies to meet its other obligations.

     "We are going to be losing staff [to other jobs], and we need to replace that staff to be able to function responsibly for our federal requirements for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System and the other work that we do for our incoming international students," Hugus said. "This is what really worries us. We have a federal mandate to do this."

     Hugus said the office may begin charging departments for help with incoming foreign students and faculty.

     Some departments that were partially cut face being phased out because their remaining budget is too small to continue the operation. The Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research (MISER), the Campus Chronicle, and possibly the AIMS Video Services are three.

    Political Science professor Steve Coelen, who directs MISER, said if the cuts to the institute were smaller, it could continue its work.

     "If we were cut back proportionally [to the campus budget reduction], we could have survived," he said. "But we can't function without the basic funding [from the University]."

     The $85,000 cut to the Chronicle will mean its final issue will appear June 27.

     Although the $220,713 cut to AIMS appears to be less than half its budget, director John Stacey said that because the cut won't be applied to the arm of AIMS that provides classroom support services, AIMS Video Services is essentially zero-funded.

     "We have enough resources to remain solvent for FY04," he said. "FY05 is another story." He plans to market Video Services more widely in an effort to generate more revenue, he said.

     Athletics received a $2.5 million reduction from its current general operations support of nearly $5.7 million. The nature of the cuts to Athletics must be worked out with the Board of Trustees' athletics committee, Lombardi wrote in a June 4 memo to campus constituents.

    Approximately $6 million of the Category II cuts are listed by vice chancelleries and administrative support areas. Officials are still working to determine where the cuts will be made within their units, according to Barbara Pitoniak, News Office director.

    "They're putting together their plans for the reductions," she said.