YOUNGSTOWN YSU scrambles to pare budget

The provost has asked college deans to create budget-cutting scenarios.
By RON COLE
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Faculty members may not be traveling to as many conferences. Some student workers could lose their jobs. Postage and publications in some departments may be sliced.
In short, Youngstown State University deans, department heads and other officials are scouring every nook of the campus to find a way to make up the loss of nearly $3 million in state funds.
Even a possible midyear tuition increase is on the table.
"No decisions have been made at this point in terms of how exactly we're going to respond to this," said Terry Ondreyka, YSU vice president for finance. "We're just slowing down spending all over campus."
Gov. Bob Taft has ordered most state agencies to cut spending by 6 percent by the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2002. That amounts to $2.9 million for YSU, which receives about half of its funding from the state. The other half comes from student tuition and fees.
Ondreyka said YSU President David Sweet has ordered that all new hiring be closely scrutinized and that vice presidents must approve all future travel requests.
"Also, any available budget that hasn't been committed for something has been frozen," he said.
Sweet, Ondreyka and other university officials met Thursday to mull over possible budget-reduction scenarios. Ondreyka said he hopes the university will settle on a plan soon.
Potential cuts: Provost Tony Atwater has asked the deans of YSU's six colleges to draw up plans for a possible 1.5 percent, across-the-board cut in all academic departments, Ondreyka said.
Engineering Dean Charles Stevens said he would have to cut about $50,000. Nearly 97 percent of the college's approximately $3.4 million budget goes to personnel costs, which he said can't be touched midway through the academic year.
That leaves 3 percent, or about $100,000, for supplies, travel, telephone, postage, maintenance, student labor and other miscellaneous expenses, half of which would have to be cut, he said.
"You basically have to shut down spending," Stevens said.
Joseph Edwards, education dean, said his college is in the same position.
"I've set the priority that whatever cuts we incur would not affect what we offer students," Edwards said. "We want to keep the classes running, and we want to be sure we're offering the services we need."
Edwards said an alumni magazine may not be produced this year. Stevens said recruitment materials to prospective students may be cut.
"The thing you begin to really impact is your visibility," he said.
Further trims? The budget news could get much worse. Ondreyka said the state has told universities to expect an additional 6 percent reduction in state funds next fiscal year.
Also, if state revenue doesn't increase, there's the possibility of yet another reduction this fiscal year, he said.
"That's certainly a concern," he said.