Budget Questions & Answers
The Budget Question & Answer page is here to respond to queries on California budget's impact on UC Riverside. If you would like to submit a question, you may do so by sending an e-mail to budgetquestions@ucr.edu.
Please note that we cannot address questions about specific individuals. These questions should be addressed to your supervisor.
The questions and answers are arranged by subject and then in reverse chronological order, with the most recent question posted first.
Your Questions
Edited Friday, August 18, 2009
Layoffs & Furloughs
Q: Where can I ask my own questions about the furloughs?
A: (Updated August 21, 2008) You can ask questions at a "brown bag" lunch forum with Vice Chancellor Gretchen Bolar, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26 in HUB 302. Another forum is set for Monday, Aug. 31, same time and same room.
You can also send questions electronically through budgetquestions@ucr.edu .
Q. Will furloughs in December mean that my pay will be lowest just when I want to buy holiday gifts?
A. (Updated August 8, 2009) No, pay will be equalized over 12 months for those taking furlough days.Q. What does this mean for employees who were just hired recently, just coming back from disability and/or temporary employees? Will they be some of the 1st ones to be offered leave/ reduction in time/furloughs? What about employees with vested years of 20+ years yet without the age to retire/reduce time, how does that affect their retirement benefits?
A. (Updated June 5, 2009) Details related to proposed furloughs are still being developed. The intent is that all UC employees, including both faculty and staff, will be impacted, with the possible exception of those at the lowest pay levels. (The exact threshold has not yet been established.) For represented employees, however, the University will consult with the appropriate unions. UCOP's goal is to implement all furloughs at the same time. It has not yet been determined how furloughs may affect retirement accrual.
Q. Can we strive to avoid layoffs by implementing furloughs in order to meet budgetary reductions?
A. (Updated June 5, 2009) If furloughs are implemented, they will be put in place at the system-wide level. Layoffs, however, are personnel decisions that must be made at the departmental level, addressing the unique circumstances and budgetary constraints of that unit. Campus leadership will do everything possible to minimize layoffs, but in some cases they may prove unavoidable. Other tools are available to realize budgetary savings, including the START voluntary furlough program and, soon, the voluntary separation program.
Q. Are there likely to be layoffs or just furloughs?
A. (Updated June 5, 2009) While some layoffs may be necessary, every effort will be made to avoid them. Many UCR employees have expressed a preference for furloughs rather than layoffs. The Regents are expected to adopt a policy no later than their July 2009 meeting that will allow the university to implement furloughs in the case of a budget emergency. This policy is available online on the UC Regents site.
Q. If furloughs and salary reductions are implemented, will those already participating in START (voluntary furlough program) be required to also partake in furloughs? In other words, will employees enrolled in START be required to take furloughed days in addition to already reduced time?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) With programs such as START (Staff and Academic Reduction in Time program), we hope to minimize the need to implement furloughs or salary reductions. When the START program was implemented, the issue of furloughs was not included and the specifics of how a furlough program might be designed are not yet known. However, the program does contain a provision allowing both the employee and the department to change the percentage of time reduction or end START participation with a 30-day advance notice. Advance notice will be waived if termination of your contract is due to an emergency situation.
Q. Will faculty be required to participate in furloughs if they are implemented?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) If the campus or UC systems faces a budget emergency, as defined in the proposed regental policy on salary reductions and furloughs, faculty will be subject to the proposed action. The precise measure to be taken will be negotiated between Office of the President and the Academic Senate. The intent is that faculty will share in the burden, just as staff will, but it may take the form of a salary cut rather than a furlough.
Q. Some universities across the country have begun laying off tenured faculty to deal with budget shortfalls. Is this possibility on the table at UCR?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) No. Under Academic Personnel Policy, tenured faculty are not subject to layoffs.
Q. Are we working to ensure that employees whose positions are being eliminated or those who are being laid off are considered first for vacated positions deemed mission-critical?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) Yes. For example, the chancellor mandated a one-week hiatus on all offers to candidates for staff positions, in order to allow consideration of staff members in the Vice Chancellor - Administration unit who are being displaced by position elimination. Human Resources is in the process of developing a program that will match up employees who have been laid off or displaced with openings for which they are qualified.
Q. Would salaried (exempt) employees have the option to work if they choose to, even if it means not getting paid? Is there an issue if an injury on the job occurs on a furloughed day?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) Since salaried (exempt) employees are not governed by the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), they have the flexibility of working on days they are not scheduled to work. If an injury results from work or working conditions and occurs during the employee's service to the university, the injury may be covered by the campus workers' compensation program even if it occurs on a furloughed day.
Q. You have referred to intentions to exempt certain employees from taking a furlough if we implement them. What do you anticipate the threshold salary level for employees referred to as lower-paid will be?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) The chancellors have asked the Office of the President that a minimum salary threshold be established in order to protect our lowest-paid employees. A specific threshold has not yet been determined.
Q. Are discussions in place regarding temporarily suspending the automatic Defined Contributions Plan (DCP) deduction from staff (with the staff being able to choose this option) if furloughs are put in place?
A. (Updated April 27, 2009) The history of the DCP is that once employee contributions to UC Retirement Plan ended in the 1990s, the decision was to have a mandatory "savings" program that required the same level of contribution that had previously been made to the retirement plan (employees did not see a change in take home pay). Effective April 15, 2010, the contributions to the mandatory "savings" program, i.e., DCP, will be redirected toward the retirement plan.
According to the Office of the President, the pretax contributions to the Defined Contribution Plan (which are characterized as "employer pickup contributions" under the Internal Revenue Code) may not be voluntary, so an "opt-out" option is not possible. Only after-tax contributions to the DCP may be offered on a voluntary basis. The DCP, which is a 401(a) plan, is subject to different rules than a 403(b) or a 457(b) plan, both of which provide for voluntary pretax contributions.
START Program (Staff and Academic Reduction in Time)
Q. Do we know if the START program will be extended beyond June 30, 2010, it is scheduled to expire?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) Extending START beyond the June 30, 2010 deadline is not currently planned. In the past, however, the program has been extended on an "as needed" basis.
Q. If the university has to furlough employees, would we be given the option of signing up for the START program first?
A. (Updated May 5, 2009) If furloughs are proposed, the campus will recommend and strongly support a provision that allows employees the opportunity to enroll in START as an alternative to a mandatory furlough as well as furlough exemptions to current START participants whose time reduction and time reduction duration are comparable to any required furlough.
If further savings are required in the next fiscal year or thereafter, furloughs could provide a way of reducing expenses while maintaining the relative strength of the workforce through this particularly challenging time.
Q. Why are so many department not allowing their employees to participate in the START program? I have worked on this campus for almost 18 years and I reduced my work time to 4 days per week and have become the envy of my friends on campus. I have many friends in many departments and they all tell me that they are not allowed to participate in the START program because their department won't allow it.
A. (Updated April 20, 2009) The START Program is designed to help the university achieve temporary salary savings during the current budget crisis by offering eligible academic personnel and staff the opportunity to voluntarily reduce their working time and corresponding pay in exchange for a number of advantages. As you have stated, START is subject to the department head's approval. The chancellor and other members of the chancellor's cabinet are, in fact, encouraging department heads to promote and support START as a way of supporting employees who would like a more flexible work schedule and, at the same time, helping to meet budget reduction targets. Unit heads must evaluate each request, however, on a case-by-case basis in order to balance workload with the need for salary savings. The staffing levels as well as service requirements of some departments do not allow the flexibility to reduce workload or assignments. Department heads are encouraged to discuss staffing options, including START, with Human Resources.
Q. There is a fear among staff members that if they volunteer to enroll in the START program, their supervisors may perceive them as less necessary if job duties are still performed satisfactorily in their absence. Has there been any consideration of this concern?
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) This is an issue of integrity. There is a moral imperative for supervisors to acknowledge and not penalize the personal sacrifice of an employee enrolling in START. Some staff are taking advantage of START for personal reasons, but many are doing so to help their units deal with budget exigencies. Further, if work is still getting done in the partial absence of a staff member, it is likely due to (a) the fact that the staff member is working harder and more efficiently than ever, possibly even taking work home in the evenings, and (b) the employee's colleagues are pitching in to take up the slack. Finally, participation in START is voluntary. An employee may return to full-time at any time he or she chooses to do so.
Q. Some supervisors are denying staff requests to participate in START. What can be done about this?
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) Each person's participation in START is a matter if negotiation between the supervisor and employee. In some instances-such as a front desk receptionist-it is essential that the position be occupied on a full-time basis. In others, it is a matter of balancing workload among remaining staff. The supervisor is obligated to look at the entire picture of office/unit workload as well as budgetary considerations and make the decision on this basis. To the extent that it is operationally feasible, however, supervisors are encouraged to allow staff to participate in START.
Salary & Compensation
Q. Does the fact that the state of California is issuing IOU payments mean that UC employees might be paid in IOUs?
A. (Updated July 15, 2009) No, University of California finances are separate from the system that pays state employees.
Q. Why was it decided that faculty merits be honored this year, when many staff will not receive merit increases?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) The Regents made the decision to approve faculty merits in order to remain nationally competitive with other institutions. Unless faculty salaries remain competitive, we cannot recruit top candidates and we are at greater risk of losing our best faculty.
Q. Several comments have been made about 'protecting' low wage earners. How will you decide who is a low wage earner? Just based on their salary? It seems unfair to base it on this without looking at the household income of all employees. Some individuals may not be low wage earners on their own, but are the sole support for their household. It is only compounded more by the size of their family. Some individuals work at positions where they make minimal salary but they are only supplementing the family income and their spouse could make six figures. There needs to be serious consideration taken when making distinctions at these levels.
A. (Updated May 26, 2009 ) While this may be true in some cases, the university is unable to make this determination. The determination as to who is a "low wage earner" is based on information that is available to us and that can be validated, i.e., the salary of our own employees. We realize there are many other considerations, including whether or not the employee is the sole support of his or her family, the serious medical condition of a family member, child care issues, and a variety of other factors. Unfortunately, it would be impossible to validate overall household incomes and needs for all of our employees and, further, privacy issues would prevent us from doing so.
Q. In the announcement concerning the administrative redesign, it stated at the bottom, "The $500,000 savings are net of pay raises which are being negotiated with the UC Office of the President. " I am assuming that these pay raises are associated with the extra duties that the Vice Chancellors are taking on. If layoffs and furloughs become a reality for staff, it can be expected that remaining employees will be asked to assume duties outside the scope of those they already had. Why are the vice chancellors to receive pay raises for taking additional responsibilities when lower staff are told to expect none?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) This is not the case. It is likely that many UCR employees will take on new or different responsibilities during this time of change. When a unit reorganization occurs, responsibilities are often shifted and/or new responsibilities added. As units reorganize responsibilities, management is encouraged to be vigilant concerning internal equity and should take into consideration the need for potential changes in classification and/or salary alignment. The campus' policies concerning reclassification and equity reviews have remained unchanged and do not preclude management from addressing internal salary alignments.
Q. The new AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) contract will close the gap between represented entry level positions and non-represented supervisory positions. For example, a storekeeper's starting pay is $13.06 an hour, while their supervisor's starting salary is $13.15 an hour. When will the university establish the appropriate differential between the supervisor's pay and the pay of his/her direct reports?
A. (Updated May 5, 2009) Concerns about pay equity are understandable. The university recognizes that the negotiated pay increases for the represented positions could present pay equity issues for the direct supervisors. Department heads are strongly encouraged to bring forward immediate supervisory equity concerns to Human Resources; equity concerns will take into consideration salary alignment, recent salary history, scope of supervisory responsibilities, and availability of funding. In addition, Human Resources will be conducting supervisory pay equity analyses during the next several months to take into consideration the multi-year effects of recent negotiated wage agreements.
Q. Why are the unions bargaining for raises when the unrepresented employees are not getting one at all? Unions in other public sector areas are not bargaining for raises in order to save jobs. Why can't UC unions do the same? To those who aren't getting raises this year the unions look greedy. It can also harm morale on campus, when you have unrepresented employees having to deal with not receiving a raise and the union employees receiving one every year.
A. (Updated April 22, 2009) Unions bargain over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment on behalf of the employees they represent. The university is legally obligated to bargain in good faith with the unions, which asked for wage increases in a number of job titles due to serious market lags in some cases, and for low wage earners in general. While these are additional costs that the university must absorb, they were deemed appropriate in those particular circumstances.
At this point, the university is looking at the feasibility of providing wage increases for non-represented staff as well, which should help address the equity issue to which you refer. Both the campus leadership and the Office of the President are concerned about the impact on morale for non-represented staff, particularly those who are also at the lower end of the salary spectrum.
Retirement & Separation
Q. If there is to be a voluntary retirement program it would be very helpful if information were distributed as soon as possible so that potential retirees would have time to plan and departments would gain the most savings. Perhaps HR could take an active roll in notifying employees even as discussions are taking place to solicit input and suggestions and to prepare for disseminating information as soon as the information is available on campus
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) Human Resources anticipates that a proposed voluntary separation program (it is not restricted just to retirees) would be ready to be announced for comment by late June. We must then receive appropriate review and approval from General Counsel and Office of the President. The actual effective date of the VSP may not be until late summer/early fall. We will notify employees as soon as we possibly can.
Q. Can you provide additional details about the proposed voluntary separation program? What might incentives look like? Who would be eligible?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) In April 2009, the Office of the President issued implementation guidelines for local Voluntary Separation Programs. In addition to using these guidelines as a basis for our program, Human Resources will consult with members of the campus community in the development of such a program for UCR. Until this occurs, we cannot define how the program will look.
Q. Can you tell me if UCR is going to participate in the Voluntary Separation Program (VSP)?
A. (Updated April 30, 2009) Effective April 2009, campuses were given authority to implement local Voluntary Separation Programs (VSP) consistent with the Office of the President guidelines. A VSP is used to reduce spending and to enable the implementation of workforce changes. Positions that are vacated through a VSP are either permanently eliminated or not filled until the needed savings is realized. While our campus is not currently offering a VSP, it may be utilized in the future as a budget management strategy.
Q. Will the university allow employees to purchase service credits so they can retire early and save the campus money?
A. (Updated April 20, 2009) In general, this is not possible. Beginning May 1, however, new, expanded repayment provisions will be available for buyback of UC Retirement Plan (UCRP) service credit for eligible leaves of absence and redeposit of contributions by active employees. The new provisions enable employees to complete a buyback using 403(b), 457(b) and DC Plan funds or money from other eligible employer plans. Other changes to expand the election period and the amount of leave time that can be purchased also become effective May 1.
Campus Project Status
Q. What is the status of the proposed new School of Medicine?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) We are seeking net new funding on all fronts, public and private. We continue exploring options with the state, as well as federal stimulus funds. As stated previously, UCR will not take resources from existing programs and operations and divert them to the medical school. Rather, we are committed to securing new funding for this effort. In the meantime, we have enough remaining funds from our UnitedHealth Group gift to last approximately two more years. Thus, we have extended the appointment of Dr. Phyllis Guze as acting vice chancellor for medical sciences and dean for one additional year. The search for the founding dean is going forward, and we have several top-notch finalists. We are also going forward with construction of the Health Sciences Surge Building.
Q. Will the budget situation affect the construction taking place on campus?
A. (Updated February 3, 2009) On December 17, the Pooled Money Investment Board (PMIB) decided to suspend the payment on all state funds on state-funded capital projects. As a result, the campus is being forced to suspend work on several projects. Work on Geology Phase 2 has stopped and the Material Science & Engineering is in the process of being suspended. Construction on the Culver Center for the Performing Arts will stop when non-state monies are exhausted.
General Budget Questions
Q. Will there be staff representation on the Budget Advisory Committee?
A. (Updated June 5, 2009) Yes. Staff are participatinge in the process. Furthermore, all students, faculty, and staff may review and provide comments on the recommendations of the Budget Advisory Committee.
Q. Is there a reason we are still hiring faculty?
A. (Updated June 5, 2009) As of May 22, Chancellor White issued a freeze on all faculty hires. The Deans moved swiftly to stop searches and, in some cases, to rescind offers that were already on the table. As a result, UCR has lost a number of very talented potential faculty hires. Based on a set of criteria developed by Provost Rabenstein and others, a very limited number of exceptions is being considered for compelling circumstances.
Q. What sacrifices will faculty be asked to make?
A. (Updated June 5, 2009) All UCR employees are affected by the seriousness of this crisis and the reduction in state general funds. Depending on the action to be taken by the Regents, faculty will be subject to furloughs or salary reductions, just as staff will be. As stated above, we have frozen faculty hiring, and recruitment for other non-tenured faculty positions has also been curtailed. We are working with the Academic Senate and campus leadership to determine how to deal with increased workload in terms of curriculum, class sizes, etc., which will be an inevitable part of the additional budget cuts.
Q. It is apparent that UCR relies on a disproportionate amount of funds from the general fund as compared with other UC's. What steps are you taking to reduce our reliance on general funds in the future?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) We are revitalizing our advancement efforts and giving strategic thought to how we can best expand private support for UCR. The budget reductions to Advancement will be 7 percent rather than the 10-15 percent being levied against other administrative units. This is part of an effort to sustain the infrastructure necessary to achieve our fundraising goals. We are also looking at ways to increase income from sponsored research and contracts and grants. Ultimately, we must focus on becoming less dependent on state funding by increasing income from other sources.Q. Will additional funding accompany additional responsibilities that are re-allocated to different organizations?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) In general, as a unit absorbs new responsibilities under the administrative redesign, it will receive the funding previously allocated to the former unit in support of these activities. Since one of the goals of the redesign, however, is to achieve savings through administrative efficiencies, and because the campus is committed to differential budget cuts where appropriate, unit budgets will not be realigned by a one-size-fits-all formula. As the campus is undergoing a significant overall budget reduction, no "additional" funding is expected.
Q. Are UC campuses communicating with one another about cost-cutting strategies that work? If another campus discovers a successful management tactic or cost reducing innovation, I would hope we would all have the opportunity to implement it.
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) Yes, these conversations are taking places at a number of levels throughout the organization. At the March regents' meeting, for example, campuses were asked to submit their most innovative cost savings strategies, which were presented by Vice President for Budget Patrick Lenz. Chancellors were each provided with the submissions by other campuses. In addition, UC's chief human resources officers are speaking regularly about some of the tools available for use. For instance, UCR is examining how the voluntary separation program is being implemented elsewhere and why other campuses are getting more participation in the START program than we are. UC administrative officers are also discussing how to increase administrative efficiencies, and their strategies have been combined into a report on best practices. Those who manage facilities operations are comparing notes on utilities savings. In addition, the issue of savings strategies is regularly discussed at the Council of Chancellors.
Q. Without a campus strategic plan, how can budget decisions be made?
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) Without a strategic plan to guide us, these decisions are more difficult. Nevertheless, the Budget Advisory Committee process has been designed to allow unit heads to present their strategic priorities in the context of impending budget reduction scenarios. In addition, the campus leadership met last fall to develop a mission/vision statement and some guiding principles and core values for our strategic planning process. We are utilizing these documents as we make the difficult decisions that lie ahead.
Q. Has the university explored the idea of a full campus 4/10 alternative work week?
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) We have held discussions, but no thorough analysis has yet been conducted . The issue is complex because we need to ensure the continued delivery of programs related to teaching, research, creative activities, and community engagement through outreach – there are many moving parts. We are a 24/7/365 operation. While things slow down on evenings and weekends, our food service, libraries, police, facilities maintenance and other essential services continue to operate, as do many research enterprises. It is not feasible to completely shut down the campus during the academic year. During the summer, however, we may be able to realize some energy savings with partial shut-downs and perhaps a condensing of the instructional program to 4 days. Second, we want to be responsive to the desire of the workforce, some of whom would welcome a shortened work week. For others, however, this could present difficulties in terms of child care, elder care, or other personal considerations. Supervisors are encouraged to work with employees on a case-by-case basis to grant flex time, as permitted by workload considerations and collective bargaining agreements. Guidelines have been developed by Human Resources to assist supervisors with implementing alternative work schedules.
Q. Is correspondence sent from our Chancellor solely on behalf of his office for UC Riverside and not universal for all UCs? I hear from my colleagues at other UC campuses that they are handling the budget reductions differently.
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) Each campus is handling the budget reductions in different ways, but within the broad framework and policy parameters of the University as a whole. Campuses differ considerably in terms of size, structure, and dependency upon state general funds. Like UCR, each of them is acting on what is in the best interest of that particular campus and its employees. Any communications from Chancellor White pertain to UCR, unless he is forwarding information distributed by President Yudof.
Q. A number of staff have advanced degrees and are experts in their areas. Is there a way that qualified staff might be able to volunteer instructional time for an incentive, such as a tax break?
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) The IRS provides no tax incentive for donating one’s time, but other possible incentives may be explored. If staff members have skills of this type and are interested, they should let that be known within their units. The Chancellor hopes that a local solution could be found when need meets opportunity.
Q. Since economic downturns have historically been cyclical and recurring, what can UCR do during future upswings to mitigate the effects of the inevitable downturn for the campus?
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) The current downturn provides us an opportunity to ask difficult but important questions about our operations and strategic focus, which will lead us toward making strategic decisions to increase our efficiency and effectiveness. While we will reduce spending in some areas, we will invest in others, directing what resources we do have toward areas of excellence and areas that grow revenues. By being more entrepreneurial and strategic, we will increase philanthropic and research investment, reducing our relative dependency on state general funds.
Q. Is there any positive news regarding UCR and the state budget?
A. (Updated April 10, 2009) There are a few items of note that could be considered "good news". Two examples:
- The federal economic recovery package is serving to blunt the impact of what would have been even more severe cuts. The stimulus package is estimated to offset as much as $255 million in additional state fund cuts to the UC system for 2009-10.
- The value of a federal Pell Grant, awarded to low-income students, will increase by $619 annually. This is an estimated increase of $33 million to students across the UC system and it will have a beneficial impact at UC Riverside, as our campus enrolls the highest proportion of Pell Grant recipients in the UC system - 44% of our undergraduates.
The change in Pell Grant awards, in combination with UCR's commitment to the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan for students with financial need from families making under $60,000, will help UC Riverside maintain its commitment of access to the students of California.
Q. Why during this budget crisis is the UCR magazine printed when it is available online?
A. (Updated March 10, 2009) The magazine provides a way for us to keep our constituents informed about UCR's accomplishments and contributions as we ask for their support. To save money, we are planning to cut back significantly on printing and mailing of two issues per year of the magazine, while keeping full distribution of one. At the same time, we will enhance the magazine's Web presence. Since many of our donors and alumni still prefer printed magazines, we are reluctant to stop printing the publication altogether. We are finding additional ways to save costs on the magazine -- seeking less expensive printing and paper stock, and reducing the number of pages and illustrations.
Q. A way to help staff cope with the current economic hardships would be to freeze increases for staff parking. Non-represented staff did not receive any wage increase in Fall 2008, and given the current situation, it is highly unlikely there will be any increase in 2009. Every year parking fees go up. In many years the combined increase between parking and the employee portion of health care premiums cancels out small wage increases for a net loss of take home income.
A. (Updated March 5, 2009) The administration has recently been working on rate proposals for all of our auxiliary and service enterprises, including parking. As these rates are developed, we remain mindful of the overall economic environment, including limitations on salaries, and have been attempting to keep rates constant despite increased costs of providing these services. In the case of parking specifically, the Transportation and Parking Services Department has been very sensitive and supportive of this goal, recognizing the impact that raising fees may have on UCR's students, faculty and staff.
We have not had a faculty/staff permit fee increase since 2003, and we are planning to submit a budget proposal that does not increase rates for 2009-10. This proposal does require some decisions about the timing of improvements for which the campus depends on funding from Transportation and Parking Services fees. These include paving, lighting and pathway projects. This proposed budget will be reviewed by several different committees and organizations on the campus before it is ultimately approved or modified.
Q. Can we increase philanthropy to offset budget cuts by the state?
A. People don't invest in the University to make up for the lack of state funding, but rather because they are interested in our points of excellence. Under the leadership of UCR's new Interim Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, Dan Aldrich, we are building the relationships now that will pay off later when the economy recovers.
Enrollment, Tuition, Fees and Work Study
Q. How will the budget reductions affect student employees and students on work study?
A. (Updated April 21, 2009) Funding for the work-study program has not been impacted by the current budget crisis. Further, as departments seek cost-effective ways to meet their staffing needs, they will look to student workers to fill in or to provide part-time assistance. If anything, the demand for student employees is likely to go up. The campus administration is very supportive of utilizing our students as employees, as it provides them with much-needed support, gives them the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, and helps units to address important staffing needs.
Q. Will enrollment be capped?
A. (Updated February 3, 2009) The Regents recently approved reducing the number of new California resident freshmen by 2,300 students system wide and increasing community college transfer students by 500. Based on this action, UCR's target for fall 2009 will be 4,000 new freshmen, compared to 4,400 this past fall. At the same time, we will increase our transfer students by about 80, to a total of 950. Graduate student enrollment is expected to remain relatively constant. These actions, coupled with current students who are matriculating in smaller numbers than are entering, are expected to yield a 1-2 percent increase in our student population.
Q. Will there be fewer opportunities for newly enrolled students to win scholarships in Fall 2009?
A. The campus is in the process of assessing its ability to offer scholarships to new students entering UCR this coming fall. To the extent possible, we hope to make offers at the same level as in prior years.
Q. Could more out-of-state students be admitted in order to increase the University's income?
A. Out-of-state students pay more in tuition and fees than their in-state counterparts, so admitting more of them could help offset some of the deficit and help our in-state students. Currently, 98% of UCR students are in-state, 2% are out-of-state. Doubling the number of out-of-state students would generate significant revenue. Having students from a variety of origins is a critical part of the diversity that the University cherishes. There is some concern, however, about accepting a substantial number out-of-state students if it means excluding qualified California residents.
Campus Infrastructure
Q. I am concerned about any further cuts being taken from the campus custodial departments. I have noticed an accumulation of rotting trash on campus and restrooms not being stocked or cleaned. I am concerned about the perception of our campus during the summer months, when prospective students and their families visit us. Can we be mindful of that when making budgetary decisions?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) Yes, we are dedicated to ensuring the campus is presented in a manner that promotes UCR as a preeminent instructional and research university. Despite a decrease in staffing levels, every effort is being made to maintain the campus classrooms, office space, hallways, stairwells, conference rooms, and restrooms according to established frequencies and policies and to ensure that the building and special services staff is effectively and efficiently providing the custodial services required to support UCR.
Q. While I love how beautiful and green the campus has increasingly become, I am concerned about the frequency of watering grass and plants, and the fact that the maladjusted sprinklers often water hardscape. Is there a way to have both conservation and beauty?
A. (Updated May 26, 2009) The irrigation operations are being managed to efficiently provide the water required to keep the campus looking attractive at the lowest possible cost, primarily by investigating new irrigation control systems that include a component of monitoring/control from either office or remote locations to eventually replace existing outdated systems.
Q. Can anything be done to be more efficient with campus energy use? Are we doing anything to conserve water?
A. (Updated April 16, 2009) The answer to both is yes. Both of these areas are actively being discussed and considered as part of our Sustainability Action Plan development which will be discussed the end of April. We have an inventory of energy efficiency projects that we can implement when funding is available. We are planning to change the operating limits for our air conditioning during the summer. We are not quite as far along in water conservation and recycling but have started, e.g., our synthetic soccer field. In addition, the chancellor's residence is being re-landscaped with xeriscape, at no cost to the campus for installation. The residence will provide an educational opportunity for low water use.