FROM:     Mary Spilde

DATE:     March 18, 2002

RE:     Board Meeting

Several things happened at the board meeting this evening.  In the work session the LCCEA presented their proposal for balancing the budget.  The board requested that the union come back with additional details at the April meeting.  Margaret Bayless stated that she intended to work collaboratively with the administration in clarifying numbers.

The board formally approved a list of program and service reductions.  This was based on their work from March 13.  The spreadsheet was sent out on e-mail last Thursday and no changes were made tonight.  In addition, the board approved the administration's recommendations for "buybacks,"adding three additions to the list: Adults with Special Needs, Early Childhood Education and a position in the Multi Cultural Center.  The board approved a tuition increase of $10 that allowed them to reinstate programs.  Also they approved an additional dollar of tuition to replace the miscellaneous course fees of $1-10 currently charged to students.  This is cost neutral to the student and the college.  Then they approved a $3 per credit hour technology fee.  More information about these fees will be forthcoming.  Lastly, in a search for additional revenue to fund the three additional "buy-backs," they reduced travel and consultants by $200,000, bad debts by $100,000, and reduced the unappropriated ending fund balance by $100,000. 

It is the board's responsibility to identify the programs and services offered by the college and to set rates for tuition and fees.  Now we move into the budget development process so that we can present a balanced budget, which needs to be approved in June

I understand the toll that this phase of the process has taken on many individuals and on the organization as a whole.  I am committed to working to assure that we live within our means so that we can keep Lane on a fiscally sound path and avoid such dramatic cuts in the future.  The state revenue is still very uncertain and it is likely that more cuts will come our way in the future.   It will be essential that we work diligently to develop additional revenue sources so that we lessen our dependence on the vagaries of the state budget. I plan to work hard on doing that. 

Thank you for your patience and your support and encouragement as we have worked through this difficult situation.