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Update #33

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

July 16, 2003

TO: CMU Colleagues and Students

FROM: Mike Rao

SUBJECT: CMU Update 33


Here is another brief update.

 

STATE BUDGET

The senate and house conference report on the state higher education budget for fiscal year 2003-2004 reduces CMU’s current year appropriation by 6.1%. The budgeting process began last spring with an across the board cut to all universities of 6.74% in the Governor’s budget recommendation. CMU’s appropriation in dollars for 2003-2004 will be $81,541,700 instead of current year funding at the beginning of the year of $90,003,800, an $8.5 million reduction. The gap between CMU and most other universities in Michigan is narrowed in the current fiscal year compared to the previous year (2002-03).

With the Governor’s support, the legislature added $15,000,000 to the Governor’s original recommended budget. $9.5 million was to be distributed among the four schools that are the lowest in per student funding (CMU, GVSU, OU, SVSU). The funding was distributed based on a floor funding amount of $3,890. Because other schools’ per student funding dropped much lower than even CMU’s, their respective amounts of support from the $9.5 million are larger than CMU’s. Nonetheless, our advocacy for a minimum on floor funding has been accomplished. It is important to note that CMU lobbied for, and will also receive, a special additional appropriation of $1.5 million, committed by the legislature and Governor for the current year. This funding will come from tobacco settlement funds.

The remaining $5.5 million is distributed among the remaining 11 public higher education institutions. Each institution (other than the four already referenced) received a break against its 6.74% cut of $250,000 plus a proportional amount based on current year state support. For example, EMU received a $250,000 break against its base 6.74% cut plus $173,932 for a total of $423,932. This funding is one-time.

The Michigan Merit Awards are in the budget for the full award amount of $2,500 per student. This funding is important to CMU because it represents approximately $7 million to the University annually.

CMU is certainly grateful to both Representative Caul and Senator Goschka for their willingness to consider CMU’s advocacy for minimum per-student funding, accounting for enrollment growth that had previously remained unfunded. We are also grateful to Governor Granholm and Senators Shirley Johnson and Al Cropsey for their support and contributions to this process. Senator Goschka and Representative Caul both openly reviewed the importance of continuing to implement public policy at a time when reductions were being made. Any kind of “across the board” reduction would clearly have adversely impacted universities that have been disproportionately funded lower on a per-student basis more than those with a higher funding base and shrinking enrollment. I am grateful to the state for implementing policy that inherently benefits all universities in a more equal way.

CMU’s long-term advocacy for public policy that embraces fairness in funding among universities has been acknowledged and acted upon. We have made great strides in the past year with the physical presence and work of Vice President Kathy Wilbur. As such, I extend to her my sincere gratitude for her diligence, political skill, and monitoring of progress with our policy advocacy.

2003-2004 UNIVERSITY BUDGET

At its July 10 meeting, the CMU Board of Trustees approved operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2003-2004. A $471 increase in tuition and mandatory fees was included as part of the operating budget. Expenditure reductions, totaling $14.3 million for the fiscal year that began July 1, were also approved. Please refer to http://www.cmich.edu/newstips/ntips.asp?ID=481 for more information about the Board actions. For a list of budget reductions that are incorporated into the budget, please see the budget and planning web site at http://www.budget.cmich.edu:8080/BNPWeb/BudgetUpdates/budget_updates.htm.

FUND RAISING AND CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Fund raising at colleges and universities in the U.S. was down 1.1% last year, the first drop nationally in private giving to higher education in fifteen years. Countering the national trend, CMU fund raising was up 15.7% this past year, bringing funds privately raised to a new all-time high of $10.2 million, compared to $5.6 million only four years ago. These funds have enhanced scholarship funding, and, therefore, funds available to attract to CMU some of Michigan’s most motivated students.

During the weekend of September 13, the university will launch the public phase of a comprehensive capital campaign geared heavily toward building endowment funds for student scholarships. A variety of activities are planned to engage CMU and the Mt. Pleasant community.

Members of the Board of Trustees have taken a leadership role in this campaign at a high level by committing more than $4 million of personal funds to the university. In fact, four members have each given or pledged amounts exceeding $1 million. This level of support from members of an appointed board is truly extraordinary for a public institution of higher education.

The excitement that Monica and I feel for the university’s campaign has motivated me to announce that, this year, I will donate to the campaign the entire amount of the 4% raise that the Board of Trustees decided to extend to me at its meeting last week for 2003-04. I appreciate their confidence and support and, in turn, want to show our family’s personal support for the university as it embarks on this historic fund raising campaign.

ENERGY CONSERVATION AT CMU

In Update 28, energy conservation was discussed to enlist the help of all members of the CMU community to keep utility costs to a minimum, particularly in light of major reductions in expenditures. While members of the facilities management team are working diligently with the items below, more engagement by members of the faculty, staff, and student body will be necessary to achieve greater success. Custodians, maintenance personnel, police, and administrators can work at each of these, but others who use facilities later in the evening are asked to please help CMU in the following ways:

• Turn off lights and equipment when not in use.
   
• Adjust thermostats to 76 degrees F for summer (and 68 degrees F for winter).
   
• Promptly report any problems, such as leaky sinks and rooms that are too hot or too cold, to the Facilities Management Service Center at 774-6547.
   
• Submit longer-term energy savings suggestions to the University Energy Committee (UEC) web page at www.fmgt.cmich.edu/energy_ECon.html#.
   

• Energy Communications Committee (awareness, visibility, media relations).
   
• Lighting Committee (indoor and outdoor, efficiency, standards).
   
• Water Saver Committee (showers, sinks, toilets).

Volunteers are needed to serve on these committees, particularly student representatives. Contact Tim Vajcner if you are willing to participate (774-1566 or mailto:vajcn1ta@cmich.edu).

AUGUST COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY

Central Michigan University's summer sessions conclude with a commencement ceremony on August 2 in Rose Arena. A total of 2,090 graduates will receive their diplomas. The speaker for the 10:00 a.m. ceremony is David Broder, political correspondent for The Washington Post. Congratulations to the newest CMU alumni who are receiving degrees in August.

NEW ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT IN ACADEMIC AFFAIRS DIVISION

Congratulations to English Professor Maureen Eke upon being named associate vice president. Maureen has been serving in this most important position on an interim basis since last September. I am delighted that she has accepted the provost’s offer to make the position permanent. Having a talented African studies scholar with administrative experience in this position will be helpful, especially in light of budget reductions felt by all administrative units on campus.

The offices of Minority Student Services, Multicultural Programs, Native American Programs, Student Disability Services, Gay & Lesbian Programs, and Women Studies report to the diversity associate vice president. Associate Vice President Eke will also oversee the Office of International Education, an important component in promoting and understanding global education and diversity at CMU.

FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS

CMU is honored to have two members of the faculty named as Fulbright Scholars for the next academic year. Professor Harry Mika is one of 10 scholars in North America chosen by the Fulbright New Century Scholars Program for a project that aims to pinpoint settings that might serve as case studies for ways in which sectarianism, ethnicity and culture have contributed to violence, civil wars and some type of societal disruption. The New Century Scholars Program’s purpose is to create new models for collaborative thinking among scholars globally, with a focus on the challenges and changes for the 21st century. Associate professor Mensah Adinkrah was awarded a 2003-2004 Fulbright scholar grant. Professor Adinkrah will spend the next academic year in Ghana studying homicide against women and girls, a major social problem confronting many African societies. Congratulations to Professors Mika and Adinkrah, both of the Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work department, on these honors. This year, only 800 U.S. professors and other professionals received Fulbright grants to lecture and conduct research abroad in more than 140 countries.

ALTERNATE ROUTE TO SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATION

An experimental program for preparing secondary teachers, particularly in the areas of math and science and geared with a rural emphasis, was submitted to the Michigan Department of Education by the College of Education and Human Services. Formal approval of the proposal was recently received. This fast-track program will assist college graduates who possess undergraduate degrees in teachable areas and who are interested in entering the teaching profession at the secondary level and will help school districts identify potential teacher candidates for existing teacher shortage areas. The first alternate route to certification cohort will begin in Spring 2004. Congratulations to Dean Karen Adams and everyone who worked with her in developing this innovative new program that will help address the need for qualified teachers in the state of Michigan.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES

Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Kohrman will return to the College of Science and Technology (CST) as dean in August. Bob’s exemplary leadership as provost for the past year has been greatly appreciated, both by the CMU community and me. The value of his thoughtful and wise guidance through some very difficult issues has truly been immeasurable.

When Bob Kohrman returns to the CST dean’s position, Rich St. Andre, currently interim dean, will also resume his previous position as associate dean in the College of Science and Technology, a position currently filled by Professor Jane Matty. Rich and Jane have also provided outstanding service and great leadership in their roles during the course of the last year.

SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN UPDATE

CMU continues to draw and serve about one-third of its student population from southeast Michigan. The president’s office continues to expand external partnerships and relationships in the Metro Detroit region with the help of Executive Assistant to the President Tyrone Jordan. Extended Learning (CEL) cohorts are being explored with Bank One, as well as additional cohorts with DaimlerChrysler Financial at locations in Farmington Hills and Kansas City. After meeting last month with UAW international president Ron Gettlefinger, Tyrone and I are working to further engage the union with CEL. As is the case with the Legislature and many others, reinforcing that CMU serves large numbers of students from southeast Michigan, both on the campus in Mount Pleasant and in Metro Detroit, has been helpful in our discussions. Tyrone and I also continue to explore opportunities to engage students and faculty colleagues in the community and corporate sectors in Metro Detroit. A considerable portion of private dollars raised for scholarships at CMU continues to increase from the Metro Detroit area.

UPWARD BOUND GRANT

The university has received renewed funding of $234,624 per year for each of four years from the U.S. Department of Education for CMU’s Upward Bound program at Northern High School in Detroit. Ten graduates of the current CMU Northern High School Upward Bound program have been admitted to CMU for fall semester 2003. Other activities of the Office for Institutional Diversity this past year include the 1st Annual Campus Forum on Diversity focusing on creating an inclusive classroom environment that supports engaged learning. The 2nd Forum on Diversity will take place this September 2003. A two-day SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) summer seminar for faculty was held in May, which brought together twelve CMU faculty members representing various departments.

STUDENT INTERNSHIPS

Recently, the Grand Rapids Press had an article about student internships at the Van Andel Research Institute, a cancer-research facility, which featured CMU Biology major Megan Senchuk. The Summer Internship Program was designed to allow college students an opportunity to be mentored by professionals in their chosen field, use state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and learn invaluable people and presentation skills. For more information about the intern program, please refer to http://www.vai.org/vari/intern.asp. The university continues to attempt to match its professors with prospective principal investigators at Van Andel, hoping that our work together will lead to expanded opportunities for students and faculty members interested in molecular research.

REGIONAL ACCREDITATION

CMU’s site visit from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for regional accreditation will occur in 2005-2006. Planning for the self-study under the new criteria will begin this summer. Teams will be formed in the fall. For more information about the new evaluation guidelines, please see http://www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org/ or contact Tim Hartshorne in Academic Affairs for more information.