GUEST COLUMN: President Gora emphasizes programs won't be cut

A recent Daily News article and editorial have raised concerns about the impact of the budget reductions on degree programs. Let me reassure students that, as Provost Terry King emphasized in his interview, there are no plans to eliminate any academic degree programs at this time. As the provost explained, we continually evaluate both academic and administrative programs for efficacy and efficiency. Based on that review, no degree programs are currently under consideration for elimination. Let me also reassure students that tuition has already been set for next year. We do not expect any additional increases to that rate as part of our budget plan.

Having to reduce Ball State's budget by $15.25 million over the remainder of this biennium is neither a welcome nor a simple task. In establishing our process for achieving these reductions, the cabinet and I have made clear that our highest priority is maintaining the distinctive, high quality educational experience we provide our students. We must also remain focused on achieving the goals of our strategic plan, goals that will ensure Ball State continues to thrive as a vibrant institution of higher education.

We have solicited input from across the campus through e-mail and the Web. We have received more than 100 thoughtful submissions, each of which is being evaluated for feasibility and impact. Each member of the cabinet has met with his or her division, and a number of promising ideas have been brought forward. We are also working with the university governance system for input and advice.

We are currently analyzing a large number of ideas and strategies. While many of the ideas under consideration have merit, we must be clear about their practicality and realistic in gauging their financial impact. Over the next two weeks, we will complete our analysis and begin to finalize our plan for reaching our goal. As we have announced earlier, we will be holding a campus forum on Feb. 17 in the Student Center Ballroom at 3 p.m. The original location was changed from AJ 175 to accommodate Web streaming of the forum. It will be streamed at www.bsu.edu/budgetplan2010. At this meeting, we will share our progress.

Early next month, we expect to conclude our deliberations and bring forward our plan for meeting these budget reductions. We will hold another campus forum on March 16 at 4 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom, where we will share our recommendations with the campus community. Some strategies may require action by the university governance system; other may require Board of Trustees approval. We will share our recommendations with the board at its meeting on March 19.

These significant budget reductions create anxieties for all of us — students, faculty, and staff alike — and I fully appreciate everyone's desire for clarity. The challenges, however, are complex, and this is why we are using a thoughtful and deliberative process, one that has generated some very promising input from the campus. No solution will be without pain, and we must assess each approach thoroughly and with care. I look forward to sharing our progress at the Feb. 17 campus forum.