NDNU faculty to face budget cuts
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: News
Notre Dame de Namur University is making budget cuts that affect faculty, a move that leaves employees concerned.
So far the university has decided to trim $687,000 from the budget next year by removing the retirement plan contribution, making administrative unit cuts and rescinding the 2 percent increase to the faculty salary scale. The 403b retirement plan affects everyone on the university's payroll, while the other cutbacks strictly affect the faculty.
The university developed the budget cuts due to the recession and declining enrollment, according to the administration.
"The budget council recommended that we establish a contingency plan for next year for a couple of reasons," said Judith Greig, the university's president. "The uncertainty about the economy is one and to stabilize our cash flow is another. In order to implement that, they realized that would require some pretty serious cuts."
This semester, the university has implemented administrative salary reductions, staff layoffs, and staff furlough days.
According to Greig, the university recognized that significant cutbacks had been made to the staff members. The staff layoffs and furlough days saved the university $125,000 this year. Next year, money saved from those layoffs will total $400,000. This was enough to preserve the university's operating budget for this year, but not next year.
The newest budget cuts affect NDNU's faculty. The budget council and members of the administration originally intended the cuts to total $300,000, according to Greig.
The faculty began to meet this contribution by returning a 2 percent pay raise that the university granted in the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. Some members of the faculty returned the 2 percent raise earlier this semester, but it was on a voluntary basis. Next year the 2 percent raise will be frozen again. This will save $75,000 of the total $300,000 requested, according to Greig. According to Robert Ferrera, president of the faculty senate, the faculty also recommended cutbacks within the senior administration.
So far the university has decided to trim $687,000 from the budget next year by removing the retirement plan contribution, making administrative unit cuts and rescinding the 2 percent increase to the faculty salary scale. The 403b retirement plan affects everyone on the university's payroll, while the other cutbacks strictly affect the faculty.
The university developed the budget cuts due to the recession and declining enrollment, according to the administration.
"The budget council recommended that we establish a contingency plan for next year for a couple of reasons," said Judith Greig, the university's president. "The uncertainty about the economy is one and to stabilize our cash flow is another. In order to implement that, they realized that would require some pretty serious cuts."
This semester, the university has implemented administrative salary reductions, staff layoffs, and staff furlough days.
According to Greig, the university recognized that significant cutbacks had been made to the staff members. The staff layoffs and furlough days saved the university $125,000 this year. Next year, money saved from those layoffs will total $400,000. This was enough to preserve the university's operating budget for this year, but not next year.
The newest budget cuts affect NDNU's faculty. The budget council and members of the administration originally intended the cuts to total $300,000, according to Greig.
The faculty began to meet this contribution by returning a 2 percent pay raise that the university granted in the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. Some members of the faculty returned the 2 percent raise earlier this semester, but it was on a voluntary basis. Next year the 2 percent raise will be frozen again. This will save $75,000 of the total $300,000 requested, according to Greig. According to Robert Ferrera, president of the faculty senate, the faculty also recommended cutbacks within the senior administration.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Des Moines Movers
posted 11/23/09 @ 12:16 PM PST
It's unfortunate but the reality of today's situation is that all schools are facing budget cuts and are being left to their own devices in terms of figuring out how to deal with these changes. (Continued…)
essay writer
posted 11/28/09 @ 1:23 AM PST
It is not very pleasant situation.
Research Paper Writers
posted 12/09/09 @ 2:15 AM PST
It is not very good that the university has implemented administrative salary reductions, staff layoffs, and staff furlough days.
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