The Oregon University System took the first step in weathering Measure 30’s failure on Tuesday by proposing funding cuts to the Chancellor’s Office to share the overall burden of cuts to higher education.The state legislature had predetermined areas for budget cuts in case the measure was defeated, focusing on undergraduate education. The Chancellor’s Office was originally not included in the budget cut proposals.
Members of the Oregon State Board of Higher Education Executive Committee, along with OUS Chancellor Richard Jarvis and the OUS presidents, conducted a telephone conference to discuss the proposed cuts.
In an effort to absorb some of the impact of the $7.5 million higher education cut resulting from the measure’s failure, the Chancellor’s Office will undergo review, and 125 employees have been notified that guarantees cannot be made for employment extension or contract renewal beyond the current contracted date of June 30, 2004.
“It is just a way of letting people know that we’re anticipating contributing to the response to Measure 30,” Jarvis said. “This would initiate the process.”
State Board of Higher Education President Neil Goldschmidt said the universities should not feel the full effect of the cuts on their own.
“Without it, where we would be left is that the campuses would have to take all of this burden on themselves,” he said.
He said he does not yet know what percentage of cuts will be taken from the Chancellor’s Office budget because the process is just beginning.
“We ought to be on the same playing field, the same circumstances as the universities were,” he added.
University President Dave Frohnmayer emphasized that the possible employee cuts are limited only to the Chancellor’s Office.
“This action obviously affects only the Chancellor’s Office,” he said, adding that students have recently expressed concern about budget cut impacts on University faculty.
“It is limited to administration, limited to the central office, it does not extend to the campuses and does not extend to our instructional or research faculty,” he said.
Committee member Donald Blair said it also is important to note that the notification is not a finalized decision.
“This is only a preliminary heads-up and not a notice of layoffs or other specific actions,” he said. “We’re not far enough along to determine what the actual steps would be.”
Further discussions about budget impacts will take place next week and in March. Budget cuts are expected to be implemented by May 1.
Goldschmidt said further understanding of the Chancellor’s Office budget is needed to make more specific decisions.
“None of us understand enough about the Chancellor’s budget at this point to be giving the rest of the board any recommendations and none of the board has seen, at least to my knowledge, the ideas the campuses themselves are generating,” he said.
Jarvis said he expects campus responses to be different concerning the measure’s failure now that the Chancellor’s Office will be absorbing some of the impact.
“Obviously they are going to be rethinking their impact given the contribution now from the system administration,” he said.