Forsee addresses budget cuts, faculty salaries
The UM system has reduced spending by 10 percent in the last ten months, UM system President Gary Forsee said at the Board of Curators meeting Friday morning.
Forsee said this shows significant progress for necessary cutbacks across the university.
"After two years of developing processes on our campuses for controlling expenses like travel, we’ve done a good job of keeping an eye on that," he said. "We’re working closely with the governor’s staff and the general assembly in regard to the next year's budget."
With funding for faculty compensation not likely to increase in the next year's budget, Forsee said the university administration will need to make salaries for staff and faculty a priority.
"One of the biggest questions regards what we’re doing with faculty and staff salaries," he said. "We’ve really had our hands tied in the last two years, but this is something that is very much a concern for the next year."
Forsee also touched on last month's announcement of IBM's new location in Columbia, assuring that MU would work with the company to benefit the university.
"The IBM announcement in Columbia was one of those game-changers," he said. "Some 800 jobs created in Columbia and the opportunity for our campus to be integrated with IBM, it’s a unique opportunity."
The UM system chancellors will speak before the curators vote on a variety of issues, including the fiscal year 2011 budget.