As you have probably heard, at the end of June, the Pennsylvania legislature and the governor approved flat appropriations for PASSHE. On July 9, 2012, the PASSHE Board of Governors approved tuition and fee increases for fiscal year 2012–13. As a result, we are now in a position to finalize IUP's general (E&G) budget for FY 2012–13.
While the budget picture for this year is much better than was feared just a few months ago, this is not a time to maintain the status quo. There is significant economic uncertainty in Pennsylvania, and several fiscal challenges are in our future. The vice presidents and I agree that we must take advantage of last year's work in setting strategic priorities and identifying administrative efficiencies to ensure that we protect IUP's core mission. We also must make at least some investment in those areas that are most important to our future success.
I have therefore decided that 75 percent of the cuts planned for the FY 2012–13 E&G budget will be returned to the vice presidents to be allocated to the most important strategic priorities in each of their divisions. (The only exception is that the Office of the President will take 100 percent of its planned cut.) The remaining 25 percent of the planned cuts will be retained centrally as a hedge against looming fiscal challenges and for one-time and base investment in areas of critical importance to IUP's future. I will be engaging in further discussions with the vice presidents and with all of you to identify the highest priority investments as quickly as possible.
I encourage you to consult with your vice president about the specifics of how this decision will be implemented in your unit.
Michael A. Driscoll
President