June 13, 2003
Letter from EVP Turner:
FY04 Resource Plan moves UO/E
forward
Dear Colleagues:
I want to take this opportunity to share
several major decisions related to resource
allocation and planning for FY04. These decisions
are intended to balance the UO/E budget for the
coming year and to enable field and campus faculty
and staff to move ahead in meeting the needs of
Missouri's citizens.
The UO/E Resource Management Advisory Committee
met February-April to consider how best to
maximize UO/E's human and financial resources to
provide high-quality educational programs. The
committee took into account declining state
appropriations, an overall moderate increase in
local appropriations and a flat federal budget.
The loss of Mission Enhancement funds, which UO/E
received for three years, also was factored into
the discussion.
The current assumption is that the state
appropriation for higher education, following the
legislature's special session, is likely to
reflect a 6.8 percent reduction from FY03. At the
same time, the UM Board of Curators has set a 2
percent increase in the salary pool for UM
employees, including UO/E, for FY04. Individual
increases are to be based on merit.
If the 6.8 percent budgetary assumption holds
true, the following FY04 Resource Plan will be
implemented:
- Twenty-four regional faculty positions will
be filled. Funding for four of these positions
will result from moving 20 percent of 16
nutrition specialist positions to EFNEP and
FNP. Regional directors are working with
regional and county extension councils and
program leaders to establish the highest
priorities for filling these positions.
- An "Employees First" internal
transfer policy will be implemented to allow
UO/E regional specialists to apply for
transfer to vacant regional specialist
positions prior to opening positions to
external applicants. Such positions will be
open to internal employees 10 working days. To
be considered for transfer, specialists must
be qualified for the position and have been
employed in their current assignment for at
least two years. While this procedure is
designed to offer employees internal career
opportunities, one's status as an employee
does not guarantee an interview or transfer.
If a qualified pool of one or more internal
applicants does not exist, an external search
will begin immediately. All decisions will be
made in alignment with UO/E's affirmative
employment plan. The plan will be reviewed in
two years to assess its efficacy and impact on
diversity.
- The full-time Human Resources Director
position will be filled. Recruitment for the
position will begin July 1.
- Current positions in Administrative
Management will be restructured and
reallocated to provide more support for
faculty and staff in seeking, obtaining and
accounting for grants. The new configuration
of personnel will facilitate accessing grant
information via the web, reviewing and
processing proposals, and facilitating
processes with the University's Office of
Sponsored Programs. In addition to the
reassignment of current staff, one vacant
position will be filled to provide the needed
support.
- UO/E computers in the field will be
upgraded. This upgrade will provide one
computer for each regional specialist plus one
additional computer per county. One server in
each county also will be upgraded. In
addition, an equipment reserve fund will be
established to enable the upgrade of computing
equipment every four years. The operating
system and standard software are covered by
University license. Public access and lab
computers are the fiscal responsibility of the
county. Counties wishing to purchase public
access and lab computers can purchase new
computers at full cost or purchase computers
replaced from this upgrade at a much-reduced
cost.
- Annual Conference will be held in 2004. In
addition to offering opportunities for
organizational communication and networking,
the Annual Conference will include PIE and PDE
professional development.
- The Body Walk exhibit will be replaced. Over
the past eight years, the exhibit has been
viewed by nearly a half million children. It
has traveled to about 175 school districts
annually. Body Walk also is a major source of
in-kind match for the Family Nutrition
Education Program.
In addition, we are seeking approval for a
vacation buyout plan to allow employees who have
accumulated at least one full year's allotment of
vacation days to "sell back" to the
University one-half of those days and be
compensated for them in a lump sum. If this option
is approved, we will provide more information via
Weekly News.
Funding reductions, which make possible the
measures above, include:
- Keeping 32 regional specialist positions
open until such time as additional
appropriations and revenue generation measures
allow filling of additional positions.
- Continuing to use the Outreach Development
Fund for new, innovative programs and
projects, but reducing the investment to
assure the filling of faculty/staff vacancies.
As a result, the Outreach Development Fund
will be reduced to $2 million from $3.8
million. All ODF projects have been reviewed.
Projects that have been in existence less than
four years, have multi-state or multiple
partners, leverage external funds and
demonstrate high impact have been given
highest priority.
- Reducing campus allocations for extension
work by 6.8 percent.
- Using $1.5 million in carry-over funds to
balance the budget.
- Reducing allocations to the TCRCs by 10
percent.
- Continuing to reduce costs wherever
possible.
- Continued growth in grant and contract
funding, as well as fee generation and private
giving, also will fuel UO/E programming.
I want to thank the members of the Resource
Management Advisory Committee for their hard work
and innovation in tackling the tough issues of our
day. I also want to thank the UMEA board for
sharing its perspective as these plans were under
development. I am especially pleased that we will
be able to begin active recruitment for two dozen
vacant regional specialist positions.
Finally, I want to thank all faculty, staff and
councils for your continued contributions to the
advancement of the University Outreach and
Extension mission.
With all best regards,
Ron Turner
