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WKU Regents Approve $5.6 February 13, 2004 The plan, which includes $3.2 million in cuts to the University's base budget, was mandated by Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher as part of a plan to balance the state budget. It includes $1.45 million in unbudgeted tuition revenue, $1.2 million from the school's emergency fund and cuts and policy changes from more than 20 other areas. WKU President Gary Ransdell announced the plan to faculty and staff Thursday afternoon in a campus-wide e-mail and posting on the University's Website http://www.wku.edu/budgetcuts.html. "The most difficult aspect of this process has been trying to determine how we will find $5.6 million with only five months left in the current fiscal year," he said. "Nearly two-thirds of the University's budget has already been spent this year, yet the total cut must be achieved before June 30." While the process was difficult, Dr. Ransdell said it has "led to significant policy changes which will allow Western to be a more efficient and effective campus in the future. Our budgeting process in the future will have more clarity and preciseness." He added that the cuts were reached while achieving four personal objectives: avoiding across-the-board cuts, protecting major and minor academic programs, protecting the physical integrity of the campus, and avoiding any divisional cut that would be disproportionate of its share of the overall budget. Dr. Ransdell said that no employees lost their jobs, most benefits were preserved and only a few vacant positions were eliminated. He added that no students will be forced to change academic programs because of the cuts.
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