President Denise Battles initiative for a Financial Health and Sustainability Initiative focuses on improving the college’s financial situation to account for increased annual expenditures that exceed the college’s revenues. One measure that has been taken is expanding the college’s Budget Priorities Committee.
As outlined in Battles’s email to the campus on Feb. 4, the function of the BPC is to analyze the college’s budget and recommend strategies to the president on how to align the college’s expenditures with its revenue in order to close the current budget gap. The expanded BPC will consist of several faculty, administration, United University Professors and Civil Service Employees Association representatives and a student representative.
“We have faced challenging times before,” Battles said in the email. “While the details may differ, the common thread is the intentionality with which we choose to respond, engaging our people in focused planning and then exhibiting perseverance in implementing that plan.”
Geneseo’s current financial strains are a result of multiple factors such as lower enrollment and transfer rates due to the decline in high school and community college graduates within New York State, according to Battles’ email.
“We are also seeing flat direct state tax-dollar support even as our operating costs have increased and we do not have institutional authority to set our own tuition,” co-chair of the BPC and interim Vice President of Finance & Administration Steve Storck said. “Union-negotiated salary increases for faculty and staff have also increased the College’s expenses.”
It is unclear what measures will be taken before the BPC get a chance to consolidate, according to Battles’ email. They will be looking to get input from students and the greater campus community, however, by providing opportunities for campus-wide input and looking to the wiki for revenue enhancement, efficiencies and expenditure reductions for ideas.
“Cost-saving measures at an institution often have an impact, as they do when an individual has to reduce their spending due to a loss of income or an increase in expenditures,” Storck said.
International relations major sophomore Blake Faughnan explained his concerns about the college’s financial hardships.
“I think especially here in Geneseo we don’t have a lot of things around so we depend on the campus a lot so I would say [the school’s current financial situation] is definitely a concern,” Faughnan said.
There will be opportunities for the entire campus to engage with the newly expanded BPC and students can expect to receive announcements of opportunities for campus-wide input as they become available.
Psychology major sophomore Dina Ebel voiced her opinion on the expanded BPC.
“I think it’s very useful that there are students on the board because students are the ones using all of these resources,” Ebel said. “They are the ones that know what things are necessary to be funded.”
In the most recent email announcement from President Battles sent on Wednesday Feb. 13, the president said that the BPC is expected to meet on a weekly basis starting on Thursday Feb. 14 to start coming up with solutions.
The BPC will continue to provide updates to the Geneseo community on the committee’s progress.