May 15, 2009

Question - Free Bus Pass Program

I currently use the free bus pass sticker on my ID card. I’ve heard this will be ending on or about the start of the new fiscal year due to budget cut backs. Is this true? If so, will we still be able to purchase discounted bus passes at the Bookstore or will UNM work with the City to make purchasing passes more easy/available?

Response

The free ABQRide bus pass program for students, staff and faculty is anticipated to continue another year. The university plans to begin paying for the program in August when current funding stops. The current bus pass stickers are valid through August of this year. Parking and Transportation, The Office of the Executive Vice President for Administration, and ASUNM have committed some funding to continue the program an additional year. However, there remains a small gap in funding from what the ABQRide program is requesting for next year. Institutional Support Services is presently negotiating these details with the city.

April 30, 2009

Suggestion - Voluntary Furlough

I suggest adding a section disclosing to employees that this will impact the retirement calculation of their high five years if they are close to retirement. This enables them to make a more informed decision. Thank you.

Response

Thanks for the suggestion. We do have information on the impact to retirement in Section 4, Program Details, Page 8, although it may not be prominent. There are two bullets:

• Earned service credit for ERA retirement will not be impacted by the voluntary furlough
• The retirement benefit calculation may be impacted if the year a furlough is taken is used in the calculation of the employee’s high five average, since a furlough will reduce the employee’s annual income in the year in which it is taken.

April 30, 2009

Comment - Temporary Change In FTE TO Benefit UNM's Budget

Oh, please do take this into serious consideration. Being off a long extended time is probably not possible, but to cut back on hours here each day. I’m in (at least for a trial)………………. We could go back to full time, correct?

Response

Thank you for your input. One of the key considerations on whether or not to include this option is the interest we see from potential participants, so your feedback is very important. If we move forward with this option, we will draft a temporary reduction in FTE agreement that will stipulate, on the front end, the date that an employee will return to their regular FTE. This option would not result in a permanent FTE reduction.

April 23, 2009

Comment - Voluntary Furlough

I cannot take a voluntary furlough. My wife and I live paycheck to paycheck (we accumulated some debt from our wedding last year that makes it impossible for me to take any time off without pay). In addition, I have been recovering from cancer treatment the last two years. Anything that will endanger my follow-up is NOT an option for me, regardless of how many jobs it may save.

April 23, 2009

Comment - Voluntary Furlough

If the "voluntary" program should become mandatory, I hope consideration will be given to households currently existing on a single income. Due to the economy, my husband has been unemployed for the past 5 months. A mandatory furlough would be detrimental to my family!

April 23, 2009

Comment - Voluntary Furlough

I want to share my views about President Schmidly's Voluntary Furlough Program. I have worked at UNM continuously for over 30 years. I began in 1977 (still in high school) as a receptionist and today I am a Systems Analyst. In my early years, my mentors informed me that the only way to make money at UNM was to job jump. So began my job jumping career at UNM. I have a mortgage and one credit card payment. My son is starting his 4th year here at UNM. And that is it. No car payments, no other loans, etc.

After 30 some years here, I still have a second job to cover expenses. I am a single mom who has had to work two jobs for over 15 years to provide for my family. From 7:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. every day. And then go home and fix dinner...If I were to take even one day without pay that literally means either no food or no gas or both.

It is the most hurtful program I have ever heard of.

*this comment had been edited in order to comply with this websites guidelines for constructive feedback

March 23, 2009

Suggestion – Cost Savings

Begin regular maintenance on the facilities that UNM already has. Example: The leaking faucet in the third-floor women's restroom of the Electrical & Computer Engineering Building was reported to the physical plant in November and numerous times since, yet it is still dripping water at a rate of up to 342.23 gallons per month (4,107 gallons per year). Example: Is it possible that the number of highly engaged freshman, transfer and graduate-students who apply to UNM could be affected if the buildings in which they would study look squalid to them? Again in the ECE building, there are large horizontal surfaces at the second level of a three-story atrium that have been coated with dust, dirt, and the same paper airplanes that landed there more than four years ago. Little things that cost nothing can make a big difference.

March 20, 2009

Suggestion – Revenue Generating

I suggest that you offer in-state tuition to out of state students and that you publicize it heavily. Call a press conference, put out ads on myspace.com, facebook, USA Today and the New York Times. Costs will be offset by increase in enrollment. People all over the U.S. are looking for affordable colleges. Send press releases to major magazines, e.g. US News and World Report, Time, Newsweek, etc.

Also be more optimistic in your budget update messages. Crude oil will be up to $68.00 per barrel by mid-summer. That will be huge for state revenue. Also expect increased enrollment by veterans of Iraq and Afganistan. Typically, during recessionary times, non-traditional students tend to enroll in college programs.

March 20, 2009

Suggestion – Cost Savings

I have a few suggestions. Although some have been mentioned before, repeating them might actually put them into action.

1) All mass mail from continuing education, the bookstores, Popjoy, or anywhere else should be cut down by at least 50%. I understand that departments can opt. out of receiving this mass mail; however, cutting back at the source will also make an improvement.

2) Re-evaluate the tuition rates and fees, for every department. Last time I checked I felt like the athletic department received too much money. I understand that the athletic department also brings in revenue but from what I have been told the athletes can deal with out have a personal advisor; cutting down on personal advisors could save our university money. I am also disappointed at the fact that science lab fees are high and supplies are low. For example; A&P fees are $50 on top of tuition and there are only 4 cadavers. I am also in the understanding that the cadavers are to be taken away after the summer of 2009. I feel if the students pay extra fees to ensure all learning tools are present, why are they being taken away, or in such short supply?

3) Switch to "green" power supplies; wind, sun, ect. I understand installation of these power supplies can be costly but why not turn the insulation into graduate/PH D. projects? It would not only benefit the university but also the minds it nurtures.

4) Observe and recalculate shuttle routes. I personally use the south lot shuttle and have notice that in the evening there are too many shuttles running for the amount of students they pick up; reducing the evening number could save on gas and up keep of the shuttles from south lot alone.

5) Departments scheduling meeting away from normal eating times. I understand that this is on a department basis but every aspect of the university if feeling the money shortage.

6) If online courses are to be expanded the fee of $100 should be reduced. This huge fee is the reason so many people opt. not to take online courses. I understand the fee is there for a reason, nothing is free, but is it necessary to have such a large fee when you never meet anyone face to face?

Although I am sure there are many other ways to change UNM's budget I feel these will have a greater impact.

Response - from UNM Bookstore

We worked with mailing services last year for an opt-out. Also we have cut back our mailings from twice a month to no more than once a month and probably more like every other month. In addition we are looking at creating an e-mail list. That one is more of a catch 22. We want to put our name and deals out there in case someone doesn't think of us for their supply needs - the ones that sign up for an e-mail will already be our loyal customers. So we are trying to think about this one a bit.

March 17, 2009

Suggestion – Cost Savings
UNM has many resources, including facilities, equipment and human, that are integral to it's function. We have specialists working for UNM as consultants or FTE's. We are academic and/or practicing:

• Engineering specialists (working in facilities/Physical Plant).
• Medical specialists, both physical and mental health.
• Physical scientists, ranging from astronomers to radiation physics.
• Liberal Arts, ranging from theater to psychology and languages.
• Business, ranging from public administration to private enterprise.
• Legal experts, ranging from business to public/civic sector.
• Education, whose graduates have gone into the public and private education sector.

UNM has a close working relationship with CNM, or the "Technical School" of choice for central New Mexico.

In short, nearly everything a University needs to exist is taught and practiced, right here. Can we make better use of our own resources? In other words, can we provide more or better service to ourselves?

One example: Instead of paying a private contractor for all remodel projects, can certain projects be organized around a "hybrid" model, combining a private contractor, students learning the trades at CNM, graduate engineering students from UNM and PPD engineers?

When we need to translate a document into/from another language, does the University give this work to an outside entity, or do we give this project to upper-division/graduate students? Although businesses might argue that UNM should not compete (internally or otherwise) for services & products they provide, we might strike a balance. We provide our own service & products on occasion, while students completing these projects have "real life" experience in their field of study; the business community benefits from hiring more experienced graduates. Internships are currently provided by some outside providers, but this could expand the opportunity for students, faculty and staff to provide service to UNM and (possibly) save the University some money.

Response

Facilities and Planning is very conscious about utilizing students with experience and know-how; professional interns and student interns are already great assets. The department is continuously seeking out more opportunities use the resources students offer while giving them opportunities for professional experience. Here are a few more ways UNM students and departments extend resources to the UNM community:

LoboCare Network offers UNM staff and faculty lower out-of-pocket costs and co-pays for clinic visits and services;
Members of the Tax Law Club provide free tax preparation help for taxpayers in the low- and middle-income range;
UNM law students, through the UNM Law Clinic Program, provide legal services to low income UNM staff and students;
The UNM copy center matches any quote given by other companies offering copy services; and,
The Spanish Department provides a list of translation services.

If anyone else is aware of ways UNM departments are providing services to the UNM community, please leave a comment.

Response -from UNM Copy Center

UNM Copy Center is interested in helping all departments with the budget cut issue. Prices are kept as low as costs allow, there is never tax, delivery is free, and normal jobs are produced and delivered within 24 hours. In addition, the Copy Center will match or beat any written quote from an outside vendor. A great example of this: Kinkos charges $8.00 per sq.ft. for wide format printing (posters/banners); the Copy Center charges $4.00 per sq.ft.

The goal is to keep the money in UNM's budgets on campus and utilize internal services whenever feasible rather than pay more for business outside of the University.

March 12, 2009

Question
When faculty leave their positions due to hires out to another university, or due to death, disability, resignation, or retirement, what policy prevents a department from using the funds for that departing professor to hire a replacement after a suitable search, either tenure track and a permanent position, or as a visiting prof? Where do those funds go until a replacement is authorized and hired? When the President promises to increase faculty hires, does he mean merely replacing those who have left, or adding additional faculty lines?

Response
Relating to the first part of your inquiry, Deputy Provost Richard Holder outlined the following process. He said that deans may take salaries from vacant faculty lines and reallocate those funds to hire temporary and part-time faculty to teach essential courses elsewhere in the college. Most colleges have no other way to pay for courses that cannot be taught by regular faculty. Department chairs can ask their dean for this funding for courses. So, for example, a dean could take five vacant lines from one department, return two of them if the chair can make a case for their need, and use the remaining three lines where greater need exists. This would include possible indefinite reallocation for hiring temporary faculty or full time lecturers.

Brenda Claiborne, dean, College of Arts & Sciences reiterated Holder’s statement. She added that a portion of the salaries from vacant lines is also used for counter-offers to retain faculty who have offers from other institutions.

In response to the second part of your inquiry, President Schmidly’s intent is to create new faculty lines in critical areas.

March 11, 2009

Suggestion
In light of the intense focus of the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) on research and public service projects (RPSP's) in developing next year's budget, and the likelihood of continued and even intensified legislative scrutiny, I suggest a comprehensive, ground-up review of the administrative organization and efficiency of these projects as a whole. My proposal is that directors of institutes, centers and other RPSP's meet as a group, with full sanction from the highest levels of the

University administration, to determine how to manage the reductions in their FY 10 general fund support and anticipate further legislative focus on these projects next year.

My perception from the current legislative session is that the LFC legislators and staff were quite concerned about the perceived large number, disorganization, cumulative cost, and purportedly limited transparency and accountability of RPSP's. In seeking to reduce higher education expenditures, the LFC staff and legislators targeted our projects, appropriately or not, as adding uncertain value and as diverging from the primary mission of higher education. The university administration itself took a selective attitude toward which RPSP's it would support or propose for additional cuts, imposing standards (support of UNM mission; having statewide impact) that made sense in theory but were harder to apply or to justify as objective in practice. Critical decisions on priorities were made literally overnight, with little or no opportunity for consultation with the affected projects.

Those among us who could devote the time to tracking legislation were able to more or less follow the daily, rapidly changing developments, while others either could not devote that time or were insufficiently familiar with the legislative process to understand their need to do so.

The result has been substantial cuts to, or in some cases even elimination of, highly productive and valuable RPSP's; little or no cuts to others; and a major impact on the ability of all these projects to conduct business as usual or plan for their continued service. While this year's budget process is now reaching its tentative conclusion, at least for the current regular session, changes could still occur in special session or even through additional rescissions during FY 10 such as we experienced for the current fiscal year. Yet even now, there is no apparent effort underway for coordinated planning to adapt to the cuts that have been made or to minimize the impact of very possible future cuts.

My suggestion is that, at the direction of the highest levels of the UNM administration, a committee of directors of institutes, centers and other RPSP programs be convened to address the following questions, among others:

• How can these programs best adapt to the funding cuts already imposed for next fiscal year? Can efficiencies be realized through administrative consolidations and other operating efficiencies, resort to alternative funding sources and partnerships, etc.?
• How can presentation of future RPSP budget requests address legislative criticisms by minimizing numbers of projects while preserving services and autonomy? Can RPSP's be consolidated with academic units or with each other, either within or outside single academic units? Should any such organizational consolidations be made according to categories of services provided or some other criteria, and if so, what? What number of RPSP's should we aim to present to the legislature for the FY 11 budget process, and how can we avoid losing substantial additional appropriations for vital work?
• What kind of administrative structure would enhance efficiency and accountability while maintaining services and autonomy for the next budget year? Can RPSP's consolidate their administrative and program resources and coordinate their planning to present stronger applications for non-legislative funding?
• What role would this group of RPSP directors play in deciding how to allocate available funds among projects, if any?

This is just a sampling of the kind of questions this group would need to tackle. The purposes of the approach I am suggesting are to:

• Assist RPSP's in operating efficiently to provide maximum service under current reduced funding levels and to prevent or minimize further legislative budget cuts;
• Provide enhanced opportunities through joint efforts to seek additional funding sources and working partnerships; and
• Allow for future decisions on priorities for funding and management accountability to be first considered by the affected programs so they can provide informed recommendations to upper UNM management.

I would be willing to participate in the coordination of such an effort, provided that the administration of the University formally acknowledged its value and committed to provide sympathetic review of its recommendations. I recognize that final decision-making authority on such issues lies with the University administration and regents, of course. But without a commitment from the administration to support as many recommendations of this committee as it can, there would be little point in devoting the necessary time to undertake this process.

This suggestion is offered with more than the intention of preserving the many valuable services offered to the university and community by RPSP's, and the jobs of those who provide these services. It also provides faculty and staff with a way to assume our share of the responsibility for policy development in light of the commitment to greater consultation with the university community embodied in recent statements by the administration. I hope that we can be given this opportunity to take on that share of responsibility, and that the result will be a much improved public service effort by UNM for our state. I hope that it can also present a model of conducting internal policy discussions that will benefit the university in other respects as well.

March 9, 2009

Suggestion - Revenue generating
Expand online and ITV courses to attract more students.

March 6, 2009

Suggestion:
re: March 4 comment on "flyers"
I love those flyers! I flip them over and take notes and minutes on them..I use them in my copier..I have not bought reams of paper in months and months!!!

March 5, 2009

Suggestion:
Save on copying and paper costs! Every individual at the University of New Mexico can opt-out of receiving bulk mailing from the Bookstore, etc. by going to the University Services website, http://mailingsystems.unm.edu/ and (scrolling half way down the page) click on “Campus Mail Opt-Out.” In addition, department chairs or directors can fill out a form at the same spot to Opt Out all their personnel.

March 4, 2009

Suggestion:
Each week, through campus mail, I receive approximately 20 unsolicited and random flyers...advertising sales at the Bookstore, performances at Popejoy, classes available through UNM Continuing Education, services provided by the Copy Center, etc.

All of this information is also made available online and most of it is advertised by email messages to our in-boxes! If I am inclined to take a class through Continuing Ed or take in a show at Popejoy, I will independently seek out that information on my own.

It seems that the departments routing these paper ads, which invariably end up in the recycle bin, can cut down on a good deal of this junk mail. It only adds to UNM Postal Services' workload, wastes paper and other resources (like ink and toner), and adds to our carbon footprint on the environment!

Response:
A reduction in unnecessary printing will be a definite cost containment measure that should and will be considered.

February 12, 2009

Suggestion - Cost Savings
Regarding meal and entertainment expenses - I am sure there is an opportunity to save the University money if departments simply schedule meetings outside of normal meal times. I don't believe it is necessary to have refreshments nor meals at a many of the items that cross my desk.

Response:
This is currently happening. Many campus-wide and departmental meetings are either held outside of meal times or refreshments are either not ordered or scaled back.

February 9, 2009

Question – Voluntary Furlough:
Will benefits (health, tuition, etc.) be impacted? Will those benefits be available during an employee’s furlough? What is the maximum amount of time an employee may take furlough leave for the fiscal year? Must the furlough leave be taken in one continuous block of time or can it be taken a few days (weeks?) at a time interspersed through-out the year?

Response:
While the Voluntary Furlough Program won’t begin until next July and many of the key details are being worked out in the meantime, I don’t believe anyone currently contemplates that we would impact participants’ health and tuition benefits during times of voluntary furlough. After all, these individuals are trying to give something back to the University; we don’t want to force them to make additional sacrifices beyond the very generous one they have already made.

As for the circumstances of your furlough - the amount of time you could take, in what blocks of time, and so on - these are matters that will obviously vary from department to department, and will have to be worked out with your immediate supervisor.