Chancellor's Message

Dear Colleagues:

Significant challenges confront us in the non-clinical operating budgets as we move toward the new budget year beginning July 1. While I do not want to create unnecessary worry or alarm, I believe it is important for each of you to understand our current situation, and how we will approach the budgetary process for the next fiscal year and thereafter.

State funds will be constant while our expenses will continue to increase. While the Board of Governors of WVU approved a 4 percent tuition and fees increase for professional student programs, and a 3 percent non-resident undergraduate tuition increase, undergraduate in-state tuition was held constant for the next academic year. Other major sources of support (extramural research, service contracts and philanthropy) are not growing fast enough to make up the difference.

WVU has largely escaped the drastic financial crisis felt elsewhere in academia. That notwithstanding, we must exercise continued financial discipline to continue to meet our missions. By getting our house in order now, we will be in a better situation to address future challenges and opportunities.

To this end, we have initiated a budget allocation process for non-clinical budgets based upon the following set of priorities, agreed upon by the Executive Committee of the HSC, including deans, vice-presidents, and directors:

• Fund salaries and fringe benefits that are encumbered on state funds
• Fund institutional overhead costs, including utilities and deferred maintenance
• Preserve funding for student support services and scholarships
• Maintain commitments to recruitment packages, to the degree possible

We are implementing the following HSC-wide budgetary actions:

• Position Control: All new or vacant staff and faculty positions will be subject to review and approval at the department, school, and HSC level, with appropriate business and financial plans required before approval.
• Budget Planning: Deans and unit leaders have been tasked to submit budget plans that are balanced and include revenue enhancement and cost reductions.
• Eliminating Waste: For the next two months, a Cost Savings and Revenue Enhancement Idea Squad will tap the knowledge of everyone at the HSC to seek out savings and new revenue in the area of purchased supplies and services. You can send suggestions to costsavings@hsc.wvu.edu, or view the site here.

This process will require some difficult choices. Our responsibility is clear: we must both balance our budgets and meet our obligations to our faculty, staff and students and to the citizens of our state. I encourage you to take part in this process with an open mind and a renewed focus on our missions.

Thank you for all that you do.