NDUS Budget Cuts (changed name to be system-wide)

[CMSioux]

Layoff reactions are very predictable - anger, denial, questioning... but the reality is they happen every day in the corporate world. It's not fair, it's not easy to live with, but sometimes tough decisions have to be made. It's okay for people to be angry, especially those directly involved. Those that make the decisions know they will have to deal with the backlash it comes with the salary base. Usually those that are the first to go are the lucky ones - those that are left behind have to deal with the guilt and the fear of the unknown - morale always takes a hit. Remember this is just a small part of the cuts that are coming - this is going to impact the entire University. 

[northernraider]

Anyone know what NDSU and other schools are cutting? Seems like UND is becoming  a poster child for the deficit, when all universities are required to do the same thing.  

[The Sicatoka]

UND is leading from the front on this. Why? Because our (interim) president has been through this (state budget cuts) before. He understands that it's best to be seen as leading (meaning making the tough choices) as well as meeting the directives out of Bismarck. (Make Bismarck happy now, use to your advantage later.) 

The other schools? I hear crickets. I suspect they think they can just slide by unnoticed and they hope that somehow magically the problem solves itself. That never works. When you do that someone comes and solves the problem for you, and seldom is the outcome what you'd wished. Doing nothing is weak and cowardly and shows no leadership. Actually, it probably also shows impotence because you more than likely have no idea what to do. 

Ed Schafer: cleaning up Kelley's messes; leaving a lean, mean, clean house for Kennedy.

Too late to get Ed to run for the White House?

[UNDBIZ]

8 hours ago, Milford torgerson said:

Please explain how we're getting mistreated by the funding formula.  Not being argumentive but I just want to hear what I'm missing.  We did get a new Med school'

Didn't say they're being mistreated, just said it wasn't as rewarding for UND as it was for most of the other schools.  The Med School is a one-time item and not part of the funding formula.  Dr. Wynne has done quite well advocating for the Med School (occasionally at the expense of the rest of UND, unfortunately).

[petey23]

I think a good place to start with budget cuts would be to bring in these guys and line up interviews with anyone with V.P. in their title, a title that sounds made up, or any job that any one of reasonable intelligence would question the need for.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StIcRH_e6zQ

[UNDBIZ]

2 minutes ago, petey23 said:

I think a good place to start with budget cuts would be to bring in these guys and line up interviews with anyone with V.P. in their title, a title that sounds made up, or any job that any one of reasonable intelligence would question the need for.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StIcRH_e6zQ

I'd love to see an organizational chart for UND.

[northernraider]

Here is one for the Vice President of Finance 

https://und.edu/finance-operations/vpfo/org-chart.cfm

[UNDBIZ]

8 minutes ago, northernraider said:

Here is one for the Vice President of Finance 

https://und.edu/finance-operations/vpfo/org-chart.cfm

Thanks.  The five positions on the right side being direct reports to the VPFO doesn't make much/any sense.

http://und.edu/discover/_files/docs/org-chart-april2016.pdf  - Here's the overall upper admin org chart, which is so large it's not a chart at all.

[jdub27]

56 minutes ago, northernraider said:

Anyone know what NDSU and other schools are cutting? Seems like UND is becoming  a poster child for the deficit, when all universities are required to do the same thing.  

NDSU tried to solve part of their shortfall by raising student fees for athletics but were rejected. The narrative that their athletic department won't be seeing any cuts is pretty amusing because a)they receive a good portion of funding directly from the school which is required to trim their budget and b) it would play pretty poorly if they were somehow exempt for university-wide cuts and academic departments had to shoulder extra burden due to it. 

 

[Herd]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

UND is leading from the front on this. Why? Because our (interim) president has been through this (state budget cuts) before. He understands that it's best to be seen as leading (meaning making the tough choices) as well as meeting the directives out of Bismarck. (Make Bismarck happy now, use to your advantage later.) 

The other schools? I hear crickets. I suspect they think they can just slide by unnoticed and they hope that somehow magically the problem solves itself. That never works. When you do that someone comes and solves the problem for you, and seldom is the outcome what you'd wished. Doing nothing is weak and cowardly and shows no leadership. Actually, it probably also shows impotence because you more than likely have no idea what to do. 

Ed Schafer: cleaning up Kelley's messes; leaving a lean, mean, clean house for Kennedy.

Too late to get Ed to run for the White House?

Or, other schools were better prepared to start with.   Or, other schools don't receive near the sum of dollars that und is accustomed to receive and counts on.  Or, other school may be managed better than the current state of und.   Or, other schools will also be announcing specifics on how they are handling the cuts shortly.

Let's not assume that other schools in the state are not prepared or preparing.  We both know that they all getting a reduction in funding, and all are preparing.   It will hurt everyone in some fashion.

[crb1]

The problem at UND is that even though it is stated we have 15,000 enrollments those enrollments are not Full Time students. So we have actually seen a decrease in Full Time students, thus putting the squeeze on our money coming in plus the tuition cap.

[northernraider]

32 minutes ago, Herd said:

Or, other schools were better prepared to start with.   Or, other schools don't receive near the sum of dollars that und is accustomed to receive and counts on.  Or, other school may be managed better than the current state of und.   Or, other schools will also be announcing specifics on how they are handling the cuts shortly.

Let's not assume that other schools in the state are not prepared or preparing.  We both know that they all getting a reduction in funding, and all are preparing.   It will hurt everyone in some fashion.

Other schools are preparing for a budget reduction, but yet no one else has made an announcement on what is being eliminated. NDSU did some presser a couple months ago, but it was very vague and most of it was about how these cuts will affect NDSU federal funding. Dickinson State is trimming $1 Million.  No word from Minot State, Mayville, or the community colleges.  

[northernraider]

But there is also an increase in online enrollment, which basically has very little cost to the University besides professor's time and technology infrastructure.  

[The Sicatoka]

47 minutes ago, UNDBIZ said:

Thanks.  The five positions on the right side being direct reports to the VPFO doesn't make much/any sense.

Things that look like that on org charts always humor me. They result from having to do something with a person after they've proven "The Peter Principle".  I call them "uncle" positions because they are out there like an uncle who doesn't have a family of his own. 

[The Sicatoka]

57 minutes ago, Herd said:

Or, other schools were better prepared to start with.

So other schools knew commodities prices (oil, ag) were going to tumble, decimate the State budget, and that the Governor would be ordering all State agencies to prepare cuts at 4.05% and 10% levels? 

Until I see public plans and statements from the remainder of the NDUS schools, I stand by my prior assessment. I hope I'm wrong and they aren't just hoping to slide by, but to this point I haven't seen much to believe otherwise. 

[crb1]

20 minutes ago, northernraider said:

But there is also an increase in online enrollment, which basically has very little cost to the University besides professor's time and technology infrastructure.  

A person taking an online course here and there isn't going to make up for a FTE.

[homer]

1 hour ago, Herd said:

Or, other schools were better prepared to start with.   Or, other schools don't receive near the sum of dollars that und is accustomed to receive and counts on.  Or, other school may be managed better than the current state of und.   Or, other schools will also be announcing specifics on how they are handling the cuts shortly.

 

LOL at the first bold sentence.  The second bold sentence is predictable.  

[SiouxVolley]

4 hours ago, petey23 said:

I think a good place to start with budget cuts would be to bring in these guys and line up interviews with anyone with V.P. in their title, a title that sounds made up, or any job that any one of reasonable intelligence would question the need for.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StIcRH_e6zQ

Some VP rats have been scurrying off the deck since Kelley left.  A great sign.

[crb1]

The problem is they will gut other essential departments or programs to save themselves.

I see it happening already.

[Milford torgerson]

10 hours ago, jdub27 said:

a)they receive a good portion of funding directly from the school which is required to trim their budget andt. 

 

Last year at yearend, when athletic year budgets are closed out and the university makes up the deficit, unfortunately UND had a much larger deficit for the university's general fund to write a check for to bring it in balance than ndsu.

[SIOUXFAN97]

11 hours ago, UNDBIZ said:

Thanks.  The five positions on the right side being direct reports to the VPFO doesn't make much/any sense.

http://und.edu/discover/_files/docs/org-chart-april2016.pdf  - Here's the overall upper admin org chart, which is so large it's not a chart at all.

how many of these "titles" were around fifty years ago and things seemed to go ok back then...what a bunch of waste

especially this "title"

http://und.edu/news/2014/04/sandra-mitchell.cfm

[iramurphy]

Difficult to understand when there was no concerted effort to raise an extra $1,000,000 per yer to keep these programs going. I also would like to see more support from the $325,000,000 Spirit Campaign.  I know a lot of those dollars are dedicated funds ,earmarked for programs and projects as directed by the donors.  We shouldn't be waiting for phase 2 of the practice facility which is supposed to house sports medicine research.  We shouldn't be struggling to keep up our coaches salaries nor funding for programs. You can't say the money isn't there if no one busts their butt to find it. Feel badly for the Sioux athletes and coaches.  You don't do this to the Sioux family without a fight. 

Edited April 14, 2016 by iramurphy
Spelling

[nodak651]

9 minutes ago, iramurphy said:

Difficult to understand when their was no concerted effort to raise an extra $1,000,000 per yer to keep these programs going. I also would like to see more support from the $325,000,000 Spirit Campaign.  I know I lot of those dollars are dedicated funds  earmarked for programs and projects as directed by the donors.  We shouldn't be waiting for phase 2 of the practice facility which is supposed to house sports medicine research.  We shouldn't be struggling to keep up our coaches salaries nor funding for programs. You can't say the money isn't there if no one busts their butt to find it. Feel badly for the Sioux athletes and coaches.  You don't do this to the Sioux family without a fight. 

I think the budget issue was an excuse for consolidating resources - we just had so many sports...

 

[iramurphy]

2 hours ago, nodak651 said:

I think the budget issue was an excuse for consolidating resources - we just had so many sports...

 

Yeah, I get that but I think there is money out here.  Puts a damper on what should be great week of celebration for Sioux athletics and UND.

[Matt]

10 hours ago, iramurphy said:

Yeah, I get that but I think there is money out here.  Puts a damper on what should be great week of celebration for Sioux athletics and UND.

Totally agree with you.  The resources are out there.  I wish the will from above to go after it was there as well.