Spring Break
Budget Bust: Slowly disappearing secretaries
Tyler Will
Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: News
10/03/08-"Budget Bust" is part of a weekly series about the effects of budget cuts at the University of Rhode Island.
While the University of Rhode Island is amid the worst financial crisis in recent memory, campus organizations are suffering: athletic teams are being cut, faculty have been offered early retirement incentives and secretaries are slowly disappearing from department offices.
"I don't think any department, academic or administrative, has been unaffected by these cuts. So there are no 'sacred cows,'" said Vice President of Administration Robert Weygand in response to a question about entities that would receive cuts as a last resort.
Weygand said URI is getting about 12 percent of its budget from the state government. While it's not an all time low - the funding levels are at about the same level as the early '90s - it might feel like it when inflation is taken into account.
"It is one of the most drastic cutbacks we've ever seen," Weygand said. "We cannot absorb more cuts like we've seen over these last few years."
Weygand said in the fiscal years of 2008, 2009 and 2010, URI is looking at a total of $30 million in cutbacks from the state, and at a recent Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education meeting, board members discussed finding alternate sources of revenue and more "autonomy" from the government.
When budgets are cut, Weygand said, departments lose money, and the department heads must decide how they are going to absorb the cuts. Many departments had secretaries retire, while some departments are now sharing secretaries and others don't have one at all, he said.
"The best thing out of all this mess we're in," Weygand said, "[is that] the university is functioning the way it needs to be, albeit thin, but it's a testament to the university faculty and staff. You have to give the university great praise for what they've accomplished. They are truly going beyond what is required of their work."
While the University of Rhode Island is amid the worst financial crisis in recent memory, campus organizations are suffering: athletic teams are being cut, faculty have been offered early retirement incentives and secretaries are slowly disappearing from department offices.
"I don't think any department, academic or administrative, has been unaffected by these cuts. So there are no 'sacred cows,'" said Vice President of Administration Robert Weygand in response to a question about entities that would receive cuts as a last resort.
Weygand said URI is getting about 12 percent of its budget from the state government. While it's not an all time low - the funding levels are at about the same level as the early '90s - it might feel like it when inflation is taken into account.
"It is one of the most drastic cutbacks we've ever seen," Weygand said. "We cannot absorb more cuts like we've seen over these last few years."
Weygand said in the fiscal years of 2008, 2009 and 2010, URI is looking at a total of $30 million in cutbacks from the state, and at a recent Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education meeting, board members discussed finding alternate sources of revenue and more "autonomy" from the government.
When budgets are cut, Weygand said, departments lose money, and the department heads must decide how they are going to absorb the cuts. Many departments had secretaries retire, while some departments are now sharing secretaries and others don't have one at all, he said.
"The best thing out of all this mess we're in," Weygand said, "[is that] the university is functioning the way it needs to be, albeit thin, but it's a testament to the university faculty and staff. You have to give the university great praise for what they've accomplished. They are truly going beyond what is required of their work."
