麻豆传媒社区入口

• February 16, 2010

Mohammad H. Qayoumi, 麻豆传媒社区入口, East Bay president, addressed university staff and management employees Tuesday morning (Feb. 16) regarding the implications for non-teaching staff of the university’s 2010-11 budget and enrollment plan.
 
The text of President Qayoumi's remarks follow:


Welcome, and thank you for coming this morning.

Unfortunately, over the past several years the State of California, the CSU, and our university have experienced a series of extraordinary fiscal challenges. 麻豆传媒社区入口 has been directly affected by these challenges, and we have been forced to take them into account.

This morning I will discuss the implications of the 2010-11 budget and enrollment plan for non-teaching staff.

As the cabinet began planning for the 2010-11 budget last summer, it became imperative that we develop a balanced base budget while meeting our enrollment target. In the planning process, I asked the cabinet to consider three guiding priorities:
 
•    Educate as many students as possible while maintaining instructional quality;
•    Protect as many jobs as possible; and
•    Be strategic in planning for the long-term viability of the university.

The cabinet provided me with the draft 2010-11 budget and enrollment plan last December.  I reviewed this plan over the academic recess.  And upon our return in January, I asked the cabinet to make necessary adjustments.
 
As part of the consultation process we presented this draft budget plan to the University Planning, Assessment, and Budget Committee.  The academic affairs part of the budget was reviewed by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate and presented to the Academic Senate.  

We then held division budget and enrollment forums in 9 separate meetings that many of you attended.  I greatly appreciate the input and suggestions that you provided in those meetings. We have tried, where possible, to incorporate them into the plan.

The magnitude of the decrease in our base funding over the past three years is staggering. The net reduction in our base budget from 2008-09 to 2010-11 is $20.3 million (14.3 percent). This does not include the $4.2 million “structural deficit” that we have been trying to eliminate since my arrival.
 
I am grateful for the continuing efforts made by staff, faculty, and administrators across the university community to confront these budget realities with thoughtfulness, care, and compassion.  I am particularly impressed by the way the university community insisted we retain our emphasis on sustaining the strength of our core academic programs and service to students.

Adhering to our budget principles and being respectful of our seven University Mandates, we have made every effort to be strategic in our decision processes.

Measures we have taken include:
•    Leaving vacant positions unfilled;
•    Eliminating positions due to attrition;
•    Eliminating temporary positions and reducing overtime;
•    Changing business practices to reduce costs while protecting service and quality;
•    Altering the way we offer services to the university community;
•    Assessing each division’s core functions and eliminating functions not central to our mandates.  In other words, doing less with less;
•    Reducing, or postponing some of the projects that we had planned;
•    Consolidating functions within and across divisions;
•    Reducing summer quarter offerings;
•    Reducing risk management costs; and
•    Reducing energy costs.  
 
On the management side, in the last two years we have eliminated more than 17 percent of MPP positions. This included reduction and consolidation of administrative divisions, and significantly flattening our management structure.  As a result, we now have one of the lowest percentages of MPP in the CSU.

While instruction remains at the core of our mission, our enrollment target has been decreased and we will be reducing temporary faculty by more than 50 percent from 2009-10 levels.

We have taken a number of actions to help reduce expenses and increase revenues.  Although the furlough program allowed us to save positions, we have come to a time when we cannot continue to spend beyond our resources and endanger the future viability of the University.
 
Therefore, in the coming months we will be preparing for a workforce reduction in non-teaching positions.  This includes time-base changes, reassignments, and layoffs.  In my view, even a single layoff is very painful for the university, especially for the individual affected.
 
For me, the loss of valued employees and colleagues—through no fault of their own— is one of the most difficult situations I have experienced in my work life.  I know that going through this process will be both stressful and painful for everyone.  It will require no less than the best in all of us—to help and support each other in these most difficult of times.

A priority throughout this process is respecting and honoring the rights and protections guaranteed to employees through our collective bargaining contracts.  More importantly we must genuinely demonstrate our care and compassion, especially for those who are affected.

I am concerned for those individuals who will leave the University.  Resources are available to help in this situation.  The Office of Human Resources offers all employees access to the services and support of the Employee Assistance Program, including counseling. In addition, Human Resources will provide workshops covering career planning, resume writing, and how to prepare for an interview. I strongly encourage you to take advantage of these services.

I have asked Human Resources to increase its hours of operation and place a high priority on assisting anyone in need of its services.  Managers are encouraged to give the utmost latitude to employees to assure they can attend Human Resources’ workshops and scheduled meetings with HR staff.  In meetings to follow, Human Resources staff will distribute information packets to help those affected by the reduction so they can make informed decisions.

In a few moments, Vice President Bibb will explain more about these services and the meetings to follow today.

In closing, I want to emphasize that a decision such as this is among the hardest an institution like ours is forced to make.   Budget realities now require difficult decisions and changes across the University.  As we go through this process together, it will be stressful and painful.  More than ever, we must work together as a university community to protect our core mission and preserve access to a rich academic experience for our diverse student body.

CSUEB is blessed with an outstanding faculty, dedicated staff, and talented students.  I am confident that with our collected efforts and compassion for each other we will weather these budget challenges. 
 
As we proceed through this complicated transition, I again want to express my appreciation to all of you for your dedicated work on the university’s behalf. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with such an inspired and committed community.


Following the meeting, the university issued a news release announcing the workforce reductions.