ABAC budget expects to worsen before it gets better
Joseph Smith
Issue date: 1/26/10 Section: News
As the new semester kicks off, the school's budget prepares to take another hit.
The recent drop in the state budget is affecting all colleges, including ABAC. According to "The System Supplement", the state budget for this fiscal year has been reduced by eight percent.
"We're treading into some new area that the school has not been in a long time," Vice President of Fiscal Affairs John Clemens said.
Due to planning ahead, ABAC will not be immediately affected by the decrease.
"We have made steps in the past couple of years to soften the blows we thought were coming," Clemens said.
President David Bridges added, "The governor did announce some adjustments to the current year budget for most state agencies, but we had already accommodated those, so it wasn't anything new for the University System."
Bridges added that ABAC and the University System had accommodated the additional three days of furlough cuts for faculty and staff.
"I sent out an e-mail to faculty and staff that said we had already done the three days the Governor is talking about, in terms of furlough," Bridges said.
Bridges commented that Governor Purdue has proposed just over $100 million in new funding for the University System.
"That will get played with," Bridges said, "and then the Governor will have his final chance in May or so, when he signs the budget."
Students will not be largely affected, due to careful decisions made by the college.
"The President has made education his highest priority," Clemens said, "So areas that impact the students…as far as education…are the last areas we are going to cut." This means other areas on campus, including maintenance, utilities, staffing support will continue to suffer budget cuts for a while.
"Every effort is being done by this administration," Clemens said, "to soften the blow and reduce the effects on the students in the educational programs."
Despite the careful planning and preparations, it is still unknown just how large an impact this will have on ABAC.
The recent drop in the state budget is affecting all colleges, including ABAC. According to "The System Supplement", the state budget for this fiscal year has been reduced by eight percent.
"We're treading into some new area that the school has not been in a long time," Vice President of Fiscal Affairs John Clemens said.
Due to planning ahead, ABAC will not be immediately affected by the decrease.
"We have made steps in the past couple of years to soften the blows we thought were coming," Clemens said.
President David Bridges added, "The governor did announce some adjustments to the current year budget for most state agencies, but we had already accommodated those, so it wasn't anything new for the University System."
Bridges added that ABAC and the University System had accommodated the additional three days of furlough cuts for faculty and staff.
"I sent out an e-mail to faculty and staff that said we had already done the three days the Governor is talking about, in terms of furlough," Bridges said.
Bridges commented that Governor Purdue has proposed just over $100 million in new funding for the University System.
"That will get played with," Bridges said, "and then the Governor will have his final chance in May or so, when he signs the budget."
Students will not be largely affected, due to careful decisions made by the college.
"The President has made education his highest priority," Clemens said, "So areas that impact the students…as far as education…are the last areas we are going to cut." This means other areas on campus, including maintenance, utilities, staffing support will continue to suffer budget cuts for a while.
"Every effort is being done by this administration," Clemens said, "to soften the blow and reduce the effects on the students in the educational programs."
Despite the careful planning and preparations, it is still unknown just how large an impact this will have on ABAC.
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