Chancellor: Avoiding layoffs and maintaining enrollment

UW-Green Bay’s top priorities in dealing with steep state budget cuts will be maintaining current enrollment and services and avoiding faculty and staff layoffs if at all possible. That is the message Chancellor Thomas Harden conveyed Thursday (March 3) in a late-afternoon meeting with about 175 faculty and staff members in the Phoenix Room. Harden was joined by Tom Maki, vice chancellor for business and finance, in explaining why UW-Green Bay is relatively well positioned to avoid layoffs, despite the 11 percent cut in state support. Anticipating possible reductions, the University held a portion of tuition revenue from a record fall 2009 in reserve, and ongoing cost cutting in travel, purchasing and review of open positions assumed added strategic importance. Another factor will be retaining a portion of future tuition increases to help backfill the losses. Compensation remains the No. 1 problem, Harden said, with below-market salary and benefit packages a threat to recruitment and retention. For a more complete report on Thursday’s session, click here.

Harden says he plans third budget session
UW-Green Bay Chancellor Thomas Harden offered his own brief summary of Thursday’s faculty/staff meeting on the budget in an email to employees. He plans a third employee information session in two to three weeks.