Faculty Finance Committee Minutes
January 2, 2007
10:00 – 12:15
Attendance
Alan Dorsey, Chair; Elizabeth Dale, Vice Chair; Ron Akers; Ken Wald, Mary Ann Eaverly; Judy Page; H. Jane Brockmann; David Daegling; Paul Robinson; Joe Glover, Interim Dean; Margaret Fields, Asst. Dean; Kimberly Browne, Budget Director
Minutes
The meeting was held in the Department of Physics conference room.
Minutes from the December 12, 2006 meeting were approved.
Alan Dorsey reported that he made a brief presentation at the CLAS Chairs & Directors meeting last month to inform them of the progress of the Faculty Finance Committee. Although no questions were asked from the floor, several emails were received later suggesting some concern about the data the committee was using. The committee is still discussing what metrics might be useful. Committee members decided that questions and challenges to the data should be filtered through the committee and requests consolidated before asking Kimberly and Margaret to gather or verify any of the requested data. Chairs and committee members need to agree on data definitions before gathering data for the data to be more meaningful.
Alan Dorsey solicited input for a presentation he will make to the College Assembly next Tuesday, 12:50, Reitz Union. The following talking points were established:
- Clarify what the committee is trying to produce: a series of plans that will be alternatives to the existing plan
- Introduce members of the committee
- Make reference to the web posting of the minutes
- Summarize committee activities-
- Organized into 3 task force groups each with specific assignments
- The committee will identify what is relevant and needed
- The committee will examine the budget process within the university
- Remind all that the committee is open about what it does not know and has no preconceived notions
- Announce tentative schedule and target dates
- Alan Dorsey will summarize the talking points into power point slides and distribute to committee members for review.
John Moore contacted Alan Dorsey to discuss the name of the committee. After discussion the committee members agreed that the committee name should be set by the CLAS Assembly, and that they were satisfied with the current name.
Alan Dorsey is working on a press release. Joe Glover will assist in getting the release circulated through the UF Digest or other outlets.
Future committee meetings will be 8:30 – 10:00am, College Conference Room, each Wednesday.
Time Line for Results: The committee agreed to work toward submitting a report to the CLAS faculty by early April. Joe Glover recommended the College APR be scheduled as late as possible, which then equips the college with the department APRs. It is also expected the CLAS APR will incorporate the work of the committee.
The members discussed how the Faculty Finance Committee might correlate to the Dean’s search. Members may prepare a brief white paper of its vision of how the college finances should work which could be shared with candidates. The Dean search will be discussed at the Chairs & Directors in February or March.
Dean Glover emphasized that the “Five Year Plan” was no longer in effect, other than the parts relevant to the 2006/07 fiscal year. Recommendations in the plan may or may not be implemented. The college is still expected to solve its budget problems. Department budget allocation problems will be dealt with on an ad hoc basis.
Members agreed that data elements needed further definition and refinement before collecting beyond what has already been collected.
Sub-groups provided brief reports:
- Group One (income for the university and how funds are allocated at the university level and how the allocations compare with other UF colleges) reported it would have information by the end of January to share with the committee. The group looked at the 2004 fiscal year and compared it to some other universities. By comparison the university budget was demoralizing.
- Group Two (how funding is reallocated and spent within CLAS) needs to know more specifics. The group has reviewed the audit report but is still considering the depth and scope of information needed. The group is writing a financial plan, seeking ways to educate faculty within the college, and ways to argue for more resources as well as help educate upper administration to the complex needs of the college.
- Group Three (create a series of plans e.g., 3-year, 5-year and 7-year with multiple variables) produced a template as part of the end product. See handout. The group will not determine where cuts should be made, only the magnitude of the cuts. Projected end of year deficit is $3.2 million.
The committee recommended that the Dean’s office begin to engage with department chairs for them to come up with priorities at a divisional level (Humanities/Social Sciences/Physical Sciences). It was recognized that some departments straddle divisions. The committee recommended that the Dean encourage departments to think of their place within the college from a big vision perspective. Joe Glover will present this topic in the next Chairs & Directors meeting.
Next meeting
Wednesday, January 10, Dean’s conference room
Attachments
Respectfully submitted,
Margaret Fields
Recording Secretary
