November 25, 2008
To the UT Family,
Today we begin the lengthy legislative process toward a final budget for next year. I will be in Nashville presenting information to Governor Bredesen during his budget hearings which have been going on for the past week. The reality of the economy makes this a difficult process for the governor, as well as for UT and all of higher education. I want to share highlights of the message we will take to the hearings and hope you will be aware and involved as we continue the process step-by-step through next June.
We understand that the state is facing dire economic struggles just as each of you are trying to make ends meet. This is a difficult time, and the challenges are real. As we evaluate necessary steps to ensure the stability and progress of this institution, we will share with the Governor our focus on these priority areas: employee compensation, protection of the core mission and program quality, economic development and affordable tuition.
The faculty and staff are the life blood of the university, and we are working to protect jobs as best we can while we deal with re-allocation and reductions to meet budget requirements. There is a very inclusive process taking place on all our campuses and in our institutes with broad input into how best to save money and minimize the impact of reductions. Our trustees are working with us through the Effectiveness and Efficiency for the Future program and you have the opportunity to make suggestions to that program.
Among the specific items I will mention today will be our commitment to working for funds to improve infrastructure at the UT Health Science Center and for helping the Vet school's large animal hospital. To lose accreditation at the vet school or let UTHSC buildings fall into further disrepair would be devastating.
But as we deal with the current problems, we must continue to look to the future. Economic development opportunities such as the biofuels initiative, the science capabilities at ORNL, and the technological opportunities of Cherokee Farm continue to be a major priority for the University. Each of these initiatives is critical to the ongoing financial and academic health of the University of Tennessee and the entire state.
In dealing with the here and now and the likelihood of a lack of sufficient appropriation funding, tuition is the only resource for making up funding gaps. We will always work to make education affordable and accessible. Given our mid-range position on tuition cost among our peer schools, plus the positive impact of Hope scholarships and other financial aid, we believe there is room for reasonable increase in tuition. Now is much too early for any meaningful discussion of numbers, however.
We will keep you informed as we finalize budget considerations in the weeks ahead. If you have questions, concerns or suggestions, please contact your supervisor or feel free to forward information directly to me. You can also use the UTALK feature on the website to share suggestions via e-mail.
We value your input and want you to have all the information available.
You can watch the budget hearings live online at:
http://nowuseeit.state.tn.us/Mediasiteexserver/Catalog/front.aspx?cid=70
a436e9f3c94124ad061b595c3d55d5 beginning at 9 a.m. Central Time. Go to page three and click Higher Education Commission.
Please share this message with colleagues who may not have e-mail or web access.
Thanks for being a part of The University of Tennessee family.
- John D. Petersen
