By Sue Loughlin, The Tribune-Star
sue.loughlin@tribstar.com
TERRE HAUTE - Indiana State University will need to eliminate an estimated 80 to 100 positions as the result of recently-announced state budget cuts, ISU President Dan Bradley stated in a letter to the campus community.
That does not mean 80 to 100 people will lose their jobs, however.
An early retirement incentive program still in the development stage will help address the issue and lessen the need for involuntary separation, Bradley stated in the letter.
"I think quite a few will take advantage of it," he said Tuesday, in an interview.
As proposed, the early retirement incentive/severance pay would be 115 percent of an employee's annual salary. To qualify, an employee would have to meet age requirements and have a certain number of years of service at ISU.
Bradley has taken another measure that should lessen the need for involuntary layoffs. He has instituted a hiring freeze for certain job classifications, primarily support staff with job skills that can be easily transferred to other offices on campus that have vacancies.
"This is being done temporarily in order to provide more flexibility in shifting employees from one area to another," he stated in his letter.
It is anticipated that decisions regarding involuntary separations will be made by the first week of April. Currently, those decisions have not been made and all non-instructional positions are under review, he said.
"We are not looking at instructional programs for resolution of the funding reduction," Bradley said Tuesday.
The details of the severance package for those individuals involuntarily separated but not eligible for the early retirement program will be made available by Feb. 1.
The goal will be to keep the number of involuntary separations "as small as we can make it," Bradley said in the interview. "These are people and their jobs and livelihoods we're talking about here."
As Bradley stated in his letter, a group with representation from administration, faculty, staff and students is developing a budget reduction plan, and the goal is to have a draft plan available to the campus community for comment by Jan. 28.
Final recommendations will go to the board of trustees at its Feb. 19 meeting.
The reductions must amount to approximately $5 million in base budget cuts. "Our real efforts here are dealing with where we need to be at the start of the next biennium," he said.
Out of necessity, the budget reductions will be in personnel-related expenses, which make up about 82 percent of ISU's discretionary budget (the total budget minus utilities and student aid).
In addition, supply/expense budgets already have been reduced significantly to address previous budget issues, Bradley stated in his letter: "It is clear that our non-instructional personnel numbers have grown to unsustainable levels given the estimated state revenues for the next few years."
Tenure and tenure-track positions will not be eliminated as a result of the current budget shortfall, he stated.
Reductions that occur in instructional staffing levels will overall be short-term and will be designed to strengthen academic programs by shifting resources to programs of distinction and promise and others that are likely to experience enrollment growth, he stated.
"There may be some instructional positions eliminated, but fairly quickly we would refill those - maybe not in the same department or same program - but we would refill them," Bradley said Tuesday.
The initial goal will be to distribute the reductions proportionately. However, decisions will be driven by ISU's mission and the goals of its strategic plan. "In the final analysis, it is unlikely that the reductions will end up being proportional by division or by employee group," he stated.
The administrative structure of each unit of the university will be reviewed and adjusted to ensure alignment with mission, strategic goals and resources, he stated.
While no academic programs will be eliminated, all non-academic programs will be subject to review, he said.
ISU was informed last month that its state appropriation will be cut $10.5 million over the next 18 months.
"I appreciate the collegial attitude that everyone is bringing to these discussions," Bradley stated in the letter. "This is an extremely difficult task. These cuts are significant, and their impact will be felt throughout the university."
His overriding goal will be to protect ISU's ability to meet its mission. The strategic planning that has taken place during the past year and the goals established will guide ISU's efforts. "As always, helping students succeed in achieving their educational goals will remain our top priority," he stated.
Bradley's letter stated that he realizes "this information will be viewed by many as unsettling, however, I believe it is important to communicate the seriousness of these challenges. Anxiety based on knowledge is better than that based on rumors and half truths."
Bradley stated it is a very important time in ISU's history: "While working to address these cuts, the university will continue to move forward ... Through careful planning, we will have sufficient resources to continue to make good progress on achieving our strategic goals as defined in The Pathway to Success. This is critical to our university's future and as a result is in the best interest of its students and employees."
Rumors already are afloat about how ISU will handle the involuntary job separations. Bradley said, "We're doing this in a very professional, respectful manner."
If people have questions or concerns, he encourages them to talk to him or to one of the vice presidents. In any organization undergoing significant budget cutbacks, he said, "There are always folks who either try to get ahead of the curve and say what they think will happen or make stuff up."