Painstaking planning done last spring in anticipation of $35 million in budget cuts at UC Davis was largely on target, and the Provost has asked campus units to carry out their reduction plans now that a final state budget has been adopted.
Most campus units have planned for cuts estimated to be about six percent, with some units receiving much larger budget cuts as targeted by the Legislature, including the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the MIND Institute, registration fee-funded programs and K-12 School Partnerships.
Instructional programs, however, will generally be preserved.
"Our top priority is to protect the educational experience for our students," said Provost Virginia Hinshaw. "What people will see are reductions in administrative services, in state-funded research, in some student services and advising, and some higher costs to students. But the budgets are being reduced strategically, to maintain the quality of the campus's academic mission."
The UC system is being cut by $410 million for 2003-2004, ten percent less state funding than it received in 2002-03, under the budget adopted July 29 by the Legislature and signed by the governor Aug. 2. UC Davis expects to receive its exact share of the cuts from the UC Office of the President by September. That figure is estimated to be close to $35.2 million.
While enrollment growth will be funded for the upcoming academic year, undergraduate student fees will rise 30 percent, or $1,150 per year.
The Legislature also adopted language indicating that the state will not provide funding the following year -- 2004-05 -- for any student enrollment growth, employee salary increases, or other inflationary cost increases at UC.
"This is an extremely difficult budget for the University," said UC President Richard C. Atkinson. "It is clear that the UC system will be taking major cuts that will greatly impact our ability to serve students and the state as a whole. We recognize that the challenges facing the Legislature were huge and that compromise was necessary in order to get a budget at all. But the state's budget situation now very clearly threatens the University of California's historic promise of access and quality."
Campuswide input
UC Davis was prepared for the final budget news, having held dozens of planning meetings and budget forums last spring to develop strategies for dealing with the anticipated shortfall.
"I am proud of the level of partnership reflected in the plans and feel confident that these plans provide the best road map for dealing with this difficult budget circumstance," Provost Virginia Hinshaw wrote in a letter to deans, vice chancellors and vice provosts last week. "If you haven't already done so, please begin implementing your budget reduction plans immediately."
The planned campus reductions, announced in detail last March, include cuts in virtually every campus unit with the exception of instructional programs and public safety. (See chart.) To meet the $35 million cut, campus administrators were assigned budget targets and developed plans to meet them in consultation with faculty, staff and others.
Budget meetings are expected to continue with Academic Senate committees, the Staff Assembly and AdMan groups, as well as employee unions, to assure that the reductions are smoothly implemented.
"I appreciate the level of consultation and communication that occurred during the development of the plans," Hinshaw wrote. "And I ask that you ensure that the faculty and staff in your unit are familiar with the specifics of your plan."
To help campus units achieve their budget targets, the campus also adopted a time reduction program for campus staff to voluntarily reduce their appointments from 10 percent to 50 percent for up to 12 months. So far, 127 employees have signed up for the Staff Temporary Agreement to Reduce Time, according to Dennis Shimek, senior associate vice chancellor for human resources.
Protecting employees
The campus is taking steps to assist staff in the event that layoffs are required, including a priority training and re-hiring program for campus employees facing the loss of their job in another unit. Job and career counseling, resume preparation and other services are also being offered to staff identified for layoff.
As of June 30, Human Resources reports that a total of 30 employees on the main UC Davis campus had been laid off as a result of budget cuts. More layoffs are expected to come this fall as budget reduction plans are implemented, but they are not expected to be numerous relative to the nearly 10,000 employees.
"We are hopeful that only a relatively small number of people will be identified for layoff," Shimek said. "In anticipation of the budget, we have been holding positions vacant to avoid the layoff scenario. And we are working to maximize our ability to place people in other positions on campus, or at the medical center."
The Provost has exempted campus libraries and public safety from proposed budget reductions of a combined $800,000. The collections budget for campus libraries will be exempted from the campuswide reductions. And the campus police and fire departments, as well as the office of Environmental Health and Safety, will be exempt from targeted cuts.
"It is critical that we maintain these important services," the Provost wrote.
Additional information on the budget can be found at www.news.ucdavis.edu/budget/.