From: staff-bounces@lighthouse.valdosta.edu on behalf of Traycee Martin
[tmartin@valdosta.edu]
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 4:42 PM
To: vsuadm@valdosta.edu; vsufac@valdosta.edu; vsusta@valdosta.edu
Subject: [Staff] Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Reductions and Spending Directives
Attachments: ATT00276.txt
Memorandum
To: Budget Managers and Employees of Valdosta State University
From: James L. Black, Vice President for Finance and Administration
Subject: Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Reductions and Spending Directives
Date: August 18, 2008
All institutions within the University System of Georgia have had their budgets cut by (at least) 5% for FY 09. To achieve our target reduction, savings were generated from: 1) capturing lapsed salaries and forgone travel, 2) canceling previously approved initiatives from our Strategic Planning Database which were to be funded from FY 09, and 3) reducing operating budgets. Budget officers will receive a spreadsheet from their Vice President indicating reductions within their department.
We have also been requested to prepare budget reduction plans that when added to the five percent equal 6%, 8%, and 10%. The state’s budget situation will dictate if these plans need to be implemented. We believe that we are obligated for a near 6% reduction because we elected to provide announced merit increases to staff members.
On August 11 we received a memorandum from Mr. Rob Watts, Chief of Staff, University System of Georgia Chancellor’s Office, with several very specific directives.
Mr. Watts’ directives are as follows:
“Given what we know—or don’t
know —about the budget, you should stay as flexible as possible this year.”
“You should assume that you
will be asked for information about your expenditures by a variety of other
parties. You need to be able to explain the decisions you make to
others in public forums. We are under the microscope in a
different way this year. You should ensure that your expenditures
for travel and other such items are notably less each month this year than last
year. People will check.”
Mr. Watts’ directives are highlighted in bold type. Our response follows:
1. “Tighten the critical-hire process to the maximum extent possible.” New hires will be limited to those involving safety, or satisfying existing contracts. Even in these cases, we must redistribute resources to fill critical hires. Questions should be raised with your Vice President or Cabinet Officer.
2. “Ensure that your institution has an appropriate process for reviewing and approving travel expenditures.” To further quote Mr. Watts, ‘Only those travel expenditures that are essential to the operation of the institution may be approved. Some faculty members must travel as part of their research and others to present findings. Some must travel as part of their normal work activities, these decisions must be made at the institutional level and case by case.’ It is left to you and your supervisors to decide if other travel is essential. Questions you might have relative to whether or not travel is critical should be discussed with your Vice President or Cabinet Officer and should be documented on the Request for Authority to Travel form.
3. “Do not submit any
requests for vehicle purchases regardless of source of funding.”
4. “Purchase only essential equipment. Equipment purchases for instruction, for research, for the health and safety of students and employees, and for future cost-saving measures remain critical. Non-essential equipment purchases, however, must be deferred at the present time.” Based on Mr. Watts’ memo, you must include a memorandum defining the essential nature of requested equipment purchases. This memorandum must carry an approval signature by the appropriate Vice President or Cabinet Officer.
5. ‘Reduce all other categories
of expenditures—printing, contracts, supplies, etc. Limit these
expenditures to essential items.’
These budgetary reductions come at
an unfortunate time for
cc: Dr. Patrick Schloss