A Ball State delegation is appealing to state lawmakers in Indianapolis today to avoid drastic cuts in the university's budget, arguing that the school is meeting goals on graduation rates and other measurements.
"We're making great progress over a long period of time on goals that are very important to the state," Bernie Hannon, associate vice president for Business Affairs, said.
"We'd just like the General Assembly to reconsider that when they decide how much money to give out to universities."
Ball State, which trimmed its current budget by $7.5 million last year as state revenues faltered during the economic slowdown, may have to trim $13.5 million more, the most recent estimate by the House Ways and Means Committee.
Randy Howard, vice president of Business Affairs and Ball State treasurer, will make a presentation to the Senate Appropriations Committee today in Indianapolis to petition for lesser cuts. President Jo Ann Gora won't be there like she has been in the past because she has a previous commitment out of state, Hannon said.
Hannon said further cuts would likely have to include personnel costs, since they amount to 70 percent of the school's $305.5 million budget.
"You can only renegotiate so many health care costs and save so many pennies and nickels on paper," he said. "You'll have to get into your people somewhere."
Hannon said the school is reluctant to increase class sizes or decrease support staff to compensate for cuts. To address last year's $15 million budget cut, Ball State restructured its health care options for faculty and staff, started a new print management strategy and renegotiated hardware and software contracts.
Hannon said the university's budget needs to be determined by July 1, a quick turnaround from the expected April 29 close of the General Assembly. It's not uncommon for the governor to extend the session, he said, and it's happened twice in the past 10 years.
The House usually passes a budget by late February, but the Democrats' five-week boycott delayed action. There are still several steps that need to happen before determining the final budget, which has to be passed by the House, Senate, a conference committee and the governor.
"We're way behind," Hannon said. "The issues that apparently have led the Democrats to walk out, it has nothing to do with higher education. I couldn't begin to tell you what issues will still be in our way of getting the budget done by April 29."
Hannon said budget cuts are difficult to make and require weighing competing priorities.
"There's a finite pot of money always, and if you move it from one section to another, you're taking funds away from someone else," he said. "Every penny of it, they agonize where it goes. That was a tough job, too."
After several rounds of budget cuts, the university is facing its lowest recommendation at $13.5 million. The process began in late December, with a recommended $16 million budget cut from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and continued with a $23.4 million budget cut from Gov. Mitch Daniels.
"There's a big difference between $13 million and $24 million," Hannon said. "And hopefully we'll get better than that. Before we know that, it's hard to get our heads wrapped around anything."
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