President Dudley-Eshbach Addresses State Budget Impact on SU

SALISBURY, MD---Following the regular meeting of the University System of Maryland Chancellor’s Council today, Salisbury University President Janet Dudley-Eshbach updated the campus community on the latest information on State budget reductions and their impact on the University. Following the meeting, she sent the following letter to the campus community:

“Though we do not yet know all of the details, I want to provide the campus community with an update on the FY 2010 State budget and its anticipated implications for Salisbury University.  As you may have read and/or heard in the news last week, the State’s projected revenue for the fiscal year that started July 1 is at least $750 million below the amount allocated in the budget.  Recently, the Governor presented the Board of Public Works with a budget reduction plan addressing about $281 million of that shortfall.  Of that $281 million, $37.8 million is to be cut from the University System of Maryland (USM), including $17.8 million from its base budget and $20 million from campus fund balances.

“Because the State had alerted the USM to the possibility of a significant reduction several months ago, the Executive Staff already had outlined a plan for handling that round of cuts.  SU’s portion is $1.54 million of the total $37.8 million.  This first round of cuts was addressed by reducing institutional funds used for maintenance and repair projects, reducing allocated funds for utility costs, and reducing the fund balance.  Current staffing levels and departmental operating budgets were not impacted by this cut.

“Unfortunately, we are likely to see even more drastic reductions when the Governor announces his plan to address more than $400 million in cuts required to balance the budget.  Although the Governor may announce mandated ways of addressing this shortfall, the USM has not been provided final amounts or directions for the next round.  I will share information about additional cuts and their impact to SU as the information becomes available.  This second round of cuts likely will have more serious impacts on our programs and staffing.  In addition, projections for FY 2011 are no more positive.  In this difficult economy, it is ever more important to make efforts to protect our most valuable resource – our people.

“I know that these continuing budget reductions are painful.  I sincerely appreciate the efforts of the faculty and staff and the wonderful job you have done in building and maintaining the excellent academic environment we offer our students.  We will make every effort to continue to provide the excellence that our students and the Salisbury University community have come to expect from our institution, and to keep the community informed as more information becomes available.”

For more information visit the SU Web site at www.salisbury.edu or call 410-543-6030.