Administrators are starting to figure out how to make the 1 percent cut.
In administrative offices around the Kansas University campus, officials are beginning to figure out how to specifically execute the 1 percent budget cut ordered by Gov. Bill Graves.
Administrators are waiting on decisions by Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Provost David Shulenburger, who will lay out the principles to guide implementation of the budget cut, which amounts to $2 million for KU.
"My guess is they will try to make some decisions and get some numbers out to people," said Lindy Eakin, associate provost for support services.
Eakin is responsible for preparing various scenarios for Shulenburger as he and Hemenway make their decisions.
Eakin expects the two top officials will have made the decisions by early next week.
One guiding principle will be to protect the academic mission of the university.
"Things like the library and the academic units will get a lesser reduction," he said. "It will be fairly proportional across the schools."
Also, the university cannot do anything that would lower enrollment. That might lower tuition income and lead to a further reduction in the budget down the line, Eakin said.
Also, the university must preserve collections derived from research, he said.
"People go out and try to make balancing decisions," Eakin said.
In the fine arts college, "we're reviewing our budgets and trying to see where we do have flexibility," said Carole Ross, the college's interim dean.
Among the options that may be considered in fine arts are the elimination of some graduate assistant positions, which would require finding some other ways to offer classes to freshmen and sophomores in the college.
The college also may not fill a clerical position.
Howard Sypher, interim associate dean of the College of Business, said options are being considered as the college officials await guidelines from the chancellor's office.
Sypher, who's on a temporary appointment from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said he was glad a search for a replacement for retiring dean Thomas Sarowski would continue.
"Still (the cut's) not good news," Sypher said. "You don't want to be searching for a dean in a situation like this."
The business dean's position is one of four the university is trying to fill permanently. In addition to the school of fine arts, the university is looking for deans of the graduate and law schools.
As for the business college, "we don't want to affect instruction," Sypher said.
There are two to three faculty positions the college wants to fill for next year. Sypher said he hopes any hiring freeze is selective in application.
The college may consider delays in the purchase of computer equipment or upgrades in software, he said. College officials also will weigh possible reductions in student hourly employment.
"I hope it doesn't affect scholarships," Sypher said.
In the School of Journalism, the hiring freeze may affect the search for someone to take up the Knight Chair professorship.
"It's grant-funded. I'm hoping it won't be affected," said Mary Wallace, assistant dean.
The Knight Chair professorship has been open since Professor John Ginn died in the spring.
Other than that, Wallace said, "I don't know that anyone knows what's going on."
John Gaunt, dean of the College of Architecture and Urban Design, expressed the frustration felt my most administrators on campus and first expressed by Hemenway.
"It's most perplexing to be looking at a time when there has been a surplus and suddenly there is a deficit this year and next year," Gaunt said.
Gaunt expects a hiring freeze will be selective. In the college, Professor Louis Michel is retiring. He teaches a two-semester-long course in the history of architecture. The course is required.
"I think the university will be very constructive in those situations," he said.
In the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, examination of cuts will begin in staff meetings early next week, said Linda Luckey, assistant to the dean for advancement.
-- Erwin Seba's phone message number is 832-7145. His e-mail address is eseba@ljworld.com.
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