Officials target inefficiencies to head off budget crunch

Posted to On Campus by Elliot Njus at 6:01 p.m., Jan. 15, 2009

UM system President Gary Forsee outlined new cuts in expenses in a memo sent to the four system chancellors and members of his staff Tuesday.

The memo, available in its entirety here (PDF, 990 KB), lists a number of areas where campuses are expected to reduce their expenditures, including travel, business meetings, employee overtime and small purchases of supplies and equipment.

On Wednesday, Chancellor Brady Deaton sent a memo (PDF, 183 KB) to MU deans, department chairpersons and directors outlining how the cuts would affect MU.

Today, Provost Brian Foster said the cuts are expected to save as much as $8 million. He said that the goal behind cutting these expenses is to allow MU to operate more efficiently without cutting programs or personnel.

"This isn't just budget cutting for the sake of budget cutting," he said. "This is trying to control our expenses in ways that we can continue to do the essential things that you have to do to keep MU going as a great public university."

Foster said he couldn't say specifically how the cuts would be implemented because most decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis. Deaton's memo stated costs that would generate revenue — by recruiting new students or soliciting donations, for example — would be exempt.

The UM system has already implemented a hiring freeze in response to possible mid-year withholding from state funding and lower appropriations in next year's budget.

According to the memo, Deaton and Forsee will be holding a forum on the university's budget on Friday, Feb. 20. The time and location have not yet been determined.

Deaton didn't appear at the news conference Wednesday because he was out of town on a vacation, but he has been involved in discussions about how MU would make these cuts, MU spokeswoman Mary Jo Banken said.