YOUNGSTOWN Deal puts YSU back on track

The measure still faces review and approval by the full board of regents.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A recent compromise reached between Youngstown State University and an Ohio Board of Regents commission will likely help put the university's budget back in the black.
"We have received some preliminary good news," said Terry Ondreyka, YSU's vice president for financial affairs. "The funding commission ... agreed to a compromise resolution.
"That is very exciting news because that will help us immensely in balancing our budget. We still have to find $1.4 million, but that's much easier to do than finding $2.8 million."
Ondreyka said the compromise would bring the university about $42.6 million in state share of instruction (SSI) subsidies.
In a 2002-2003 state budget adopted in June, YSU trustees had expected $44 million, but the board of regents, based on enrollment figures, proposed cutting that $41.1 million.
Ondreyka said the compromise was reached between university officials and the regents' Higher Education Funding Commission.
The measure still faces review and approval by the full board of regents and its chancellor.
Walt Ulbricht, YSU's executive director of marketing and communications, said regents' approval could come within the next two weeks.
Other efforts
Ondreyka said the compromise, paired with increased funds from an enrollment increase of 4 percent and other initiatives, is a step toward a balanced budget.
Those initiatives include a selective hiring freeze that should shave about $500,000 in salaries and other budget reductions that should eliminate about $250,000 in expenditures.
The proposed SSI decrease came after YSU learned of a 6 percent reduction in appropriations by the Legislature that eliminated some higher education funds to balance the state budget, Ondreyka said.
YSU built that decrease, about $3 million, into its budget, but the proposed $2.9 million SSI decrease was unexpected.
Ondreyka said the compromise came after much work by Dr. David C. Sweet, university president, and other university officials.
"It looks like many people's efforts are beginning to pay off," he said.