UAF prior reductions mean only finding $7.5 million more

By
Suzanne Downing
-
11

After the final budget was signed by Gov. Michael Dunleavy on Aug. 19, the University of Alaska System began the process of distributing University System President Jim Johnson’s general guidance for achieving the $25 million system-wide reduction.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ reduction target is $17 million. According to UAF Chancellor Dan White, his campus had already achieved $9.5 million in reductions, and so must only find an additional $7.5 million.

White detailed the approach he plans to take at UAF:

  • 10% GF Reduction – $9.5 million
    • This reduction was already proposed during the continuation budgeting processing for FY20 and included a multitude of unit reductions within procurement, services, travel and reduced staffing.
  • Remaining reduction needed – $7.5 million
  • Facilities and Administration – $2.5 million
    • Through statewide consolidations of central university administration, the system office will find $5 million in savings and portions will be attributed to the universities. UAF is anticipating being able to count $2.5 million from these savings.
    • Reduce $2.5 million in facility maintenance expenses.
  • Academic Program & Student Services – $1.3 million
    • Expedited program review of academic programs and general units will begin this fall 2019 at the system level. White estimates that some funds will be saved through potential reduction of faculty contracts within eliminated programs but due to teach-out requirements, one-time bridge funding will be required.
  • Research – $700,000
    • Application of an unallocated reduction will be applied to units supporting organized research. The purpose of the unallocated reduction is to allow unit leaders to make the best choices for their units.
  • Public Service – $500,000

To meet the new reduction, UAF will use one-time bridge funding where possible. Johnsen’s memo asked UAF to protect funds within Advancement functions (Fundraising-Development, University Relations, Alumni) and Title IX.

With the $9.5 million already cut and the $7.5 million yet to go, the University of Fairbanks will see a $17 million reduction, the most of any campus. For UAF the entire budget cut will be generally allocated thus:

  • Administration – $7.8 million
  • Academic programs & Student Services – $6.2 million
  • Research – $1.7 million
  • Public Service – $1.2 million

The next step is approval of the budget distribution plan by the Board of Regents on September 12.

11 COMMENTS

  2. Education should be Privately Funded. Read what Hillsdale College offers for education. Their quote is, “Hillsdale Offers an Education Designed to Equip Human Beings for Self Government.” Now that is what Education is meant for, is it not?? Hillsdale College offers Free On-Line courses besides it’s on-campus classes that is supported by Private Funding. Hillsdale College has been operating for over 100 years without one penny of Government money too. The only priority of Government is to “Secure our Rights to Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness” as Thomas Jefferson said in the “Declaration of Independence” as we were separating from England. Instead of any happiness we are in a Civil War in the streets. A very famous saying at that time was, “Liberty can only exist until people realize they can vote themselves Largesse from the treasury.” That is exactly what people are trying to do at this very moment, is it not?? When people took responsibility for themselves we had Liberty. Currently we are in debt for Trillions of dollars and at war in our streets, are we not?? We need to return to our Constitutional Republic instead of this Mob Rule Democracy!!
    Seymour Marvin Mills Jr. sui juris

      • You are a ridiculous nitwit. I’m certain the University of Alaska is pleased that you got your degree elsewhere, too.

        • You sound like you were educated at UAF, Catherine. Not too bright. Probably a hater. Democrat. Parents were hippies. Do you smoke a lot of dope? Are you objective? Can you read, process and comprehend? Can you write in complete, logical sentences? Try a little harder, than just being a hater. You might enjoy your own life a bit more. Go see your therapist more often.

          • So sad that Ms. Townsend had to resort to name calling. It shows more than common ignorance…..it also reveals brain-washing by her professors, and her inability to reason by independent thought and critical thinking. The real irony of the faculty and student mind-set at UAF, is that this state institution virtually operates on oil money from Prudhoe Bay. But the UAF is presently guided by faculty and administrator’s beliefs that the use of fossil fuels are the sole cause of our planet’s destruction …… a point of view that lacks serious credibility and is driven by the politics of the Left.

    • Hillsdale is a great school. I am glad you mentioned Jefferson – this father of our country’s system. His school receives and has always received public funding – The University of Virginia has done just fine over the year.

  3. Now this thing seems self-confirmed as simply another enterprise, another bureaucratic empire created to get more money, why should anyone care about what they do with what they got?

  4. Online colleges are coming. No sexual harassments, drunken rapes, political indoctrination, high fees or preference for legacies. More clicks, less bricks. Not to mention travel and boarding. And one last bit, if the government did pay for free college, which is more affordable?

    • Find me a sane parent who would send their child to the University of Phoenix instead of UCLA. The online universities are here. Some are good. The vast majority aren’t.
      .
      The elite, big-money funders of the efforts to cut education don’t hate public education because it doesn’t work, they hate it because it does. Anything that threatens corporate dominance has to eliminated.

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