Frequently Asked Questions
- Why are we facing budget reductions in Washington?
Washington State is not immune from the severe economic downturn facing our nation and the world. State lawmakers had a $9 billion hole in the state budget that needed to be filled. Dramatic cuts in all state-funded programs were inevitable.
- What is the reduction in CAHNRS’ budget for the next biennium?
CAHNRS is planning to reduce its annual budget by 7.4 percent or $2.6 million over the next two years. This reduction includes $550,620 in Academic Programs and $2.1 million in the Agricultural Research Center. It is based on a 14 percent increase in resident undergraduate tuition each of the next two years and on the use of one-time stimulus dollars.
- What is the reduction in Extension’s budget for the next biennium?
WSU Extension is planning to reduce its budget by 20.1 percent or $3.1 million. That means $1 of every $5 dollars in Extension will be eliminated. This reduction is based on a 14 percent increase in resident undergraduate tuition each of the next two years and on the use of one-time stimulus dollars.
- What does that mean in terms of jobs lost?
CAHNRS will eliminate 74 jobs; of those, 34 are vacant positions. The remainder are occupied and will mean employee layoffs. It also means elimination of the Department of Community and Rural Sociology, the IMPACT Center, as well as a variety of consolidations and reconfigurations aimed at cost savings.
Extension will eliminate 57 full- and part-time jobs; of those, 15 are vacant positions. The remainder are occupied and will mean employee layoffs. All nine WSU Extension learning centers will be closed; other WSU Extension programs will be significantly curtailed.
- How will the one-time stimulus funds be applied to offset the reductions?
The one-time stimulus money – $15.8 million – is being applied to year one of the biennial budget. The hole created as result of these funds not being available in year two is anticipated to be filled by the additional increase in tuition occurring in that year.
- If we’re using one-time stimulus funds, will we be facing additional reductions next biennium as well?
To the extent that one-time stimulus funds are used for ongoing financial obligations, we risk facing additional cuts. If this one-time money is fully replaced by additional tuition revenue, there may not be additional reductions.
- Once the proposed reductions are implemented, will we be able to fill the vacant positions not eliminated? Who will decide which ones are filled and which ones aren’t?
A limited number of positions likely will be refilled, but at this time, it is not possible to set a time line for these searches. It has not been decided whether vacated positions will be retained at the college level or moved to the Provost. In the latter case, we will have to provide justification to the Provost, and he will prioritize the positions for release. In either case, not all positions will be refilled, as funding to fill several positions vacated by retirement or resignation will be consumed by the budget cut.
- How and when will tuition levels be decided? If the WSU Regents don’t approve 14 percent per year for the next two years, will the reductions be larger?
The net budget reduction for the university approved by the Washington Legislature assumes a 14 percent per year increase for resident undergraduate students each of the next two years. The WSU Regents will hold their annual tuition setting meeting later this month. If tuition rates are lower than the 14 percent recommended, budget reductions will have to be larger to meet the bottom line.
- How and when will I find out if my job has been impacted?
Employees whose jobs are impacted will be given informal notice as soon as possible. Formal notification of all employees at WSU will be delivered in early June.
- What process did you follow to develop the budget reduction plan?
Starting last semester, the department chairs and associate deans of CAHNRS as well as the WSU Extension Administrative Team have worked on a variety of scenarios aimed at meeting the different level of budget reductions being considered by the Washington Legislature. Anticipating budget difficulties, President Floyd froze vacant positions and took a number of other steps to garner budget savings late last summer/early fall. Gov. Gregoire asked that higher education plan for a 12 percent decrease; later, the Washington Senate asked for scenarios for an 18 percent decrease.
While the administration developed the plans, CAHNRS held two open forums with college faculty and staff to discuss options and impact. A Budget Advisory Committee was appointed to provide input. The goal has been to make the process as open and collaborative as possible.
- Did you consider furloughs and/or salary decreases as a way to address the reductions?
The university administration seriously considered furloughs and elected not to use this tool. Unfortunately, furloughs provide short run relief, but do not provide much help in addressing a permanent budget reduction of this type.
- How did the A2P2 exercise inform this proposal?
The Academic Affairs Program Prioritization – in its original and final forms – played a large role in informing the budget reduction proposal for CAHNRS and Extension. Developed outside the current budget crisis, it helped to identify program strengths and weaknesses based on academic, research and extension viability.
- What role does the WSU Faculty Senate play in approval and implementation of these proposed reductions?
The university administration will be working with the Faculty Senate to review the full budget reduction plan during the month of May. The Faculty Affairs Committee is charged with reviewing the plan and making recommendations to the president and provost.
- Which category of employees is impacted most? Why?
Given the protection tenure affords many faculty members, institution wide, the budget reduction plans fall most heavily on administrative professionals and classified staff. In both CAHNRS and WSU Extension, the proposed reductions are fairly equally distributed among faculty, administrative professionals and classified staff.
- How will these proposed reductions impact students?
Obviously, students in programs being eliminated will be impacted the most. However, WSU is committed to helping any certified undergraduate in an eliminated program graduate with the degree they were originally seeking.
In addition, students currently taking WSU classes through WSU Extension Learning Centers throughout the state will be impacted. WSU Extension is working with WSU’s Center for Distance and Professional Education as well as the branch campuses to ensure these place-bound students are able to continue their studies.
Another impact on students will be in the area of student support, advising, etc., as classified and administrative professional positions are curtailed in the academic departments and in the CAHNRS Academic Programs Office. We currently are working on ways to continue the best student service possible given limited and shrinking resources.
- How will these proposed reductions impact our ability to serve agricultural and other industries in the state?
It is impossible to undergo a budget reduction of this magnitude without dramatically impacting our ability to serve the state and its residents; that is especially relevant given our unique, land-grant mission in the state.
In terms of research and academic programs, we will continue to work as closely as possible with the communities we serve to make the science we conduct as relevant as possible and to ensure our teaching prepares industry leaders for the future, in agriculture as well as in human development and the design disciplines.
In terms of Extension, the reductions have been planned specifically to keep as much of the county-based infrastructure in place. The county governments of Washington are among the institution’s strongest supporters and partners and we want to honor that. County-based Extension also provides a proven framework for delivery of WSU’s best to residents throughout the state.
- What are the greatest fiscal challenges that CAHNRS and WSU Extension face moving forward?
While meeting these budget reductions is difficult enough, the real challenge will be “cash flow” as we move forward. Many positions being eliminated have notification periods of six months to a year, and no funds will be on these budget lines beginning on July 1, 2009. Paying these salaries will deplete any available cash reserves.
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