Campus budget conversation set for Oct. 17


LAWRENCE — Members of the Lawrence campus community at the University of Kansas are invited to take part in the next Campus Budget Conversation on Oct. 17.

The conversation, led by Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Carl Lejuez, will be from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in 120 Budig Hall. The program will be live-streamed and recorded on the Provost Office website for those who can’t attend.

“It’s important to be transparent about our efforts to realign our costs with our revenue,” Lejuez said. “Administrators have been asked to make some difficult decisions. These programs help every individual at KU be part of the larger conversation and give them an opportunity to express what they believe is important to our campus moving forward. I have shared my priorities of returning to a position of strength where we are committed to regular employee merit raises and keeping tuition increases to a minimum. Now is the time to share these goals.”

When an across-the-board budget reduction was announced at the end of May, several members of the KU community asked what role KU Athletics and KU Endowment might play in KU’s budget predicament. Lejuez has been working closely with representatives from KU Athletics and KU Endowment to prepare material for the presentation.

While the presented material will focus on Endowment and Athletics, Lejuez will gladly respond to questions on any aspect of the budget, including academic unit and academic support unit budget reductions and recent provost commitments. He will also offer an update on participation in the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program for tenured and tenure-track faculty who are age-eligible to retire.

“The budget reduction concerns everyone on the Lawrence campus,” Lejuez said. “It is my hope that everyone feels empowered to participate, ask questions and seek answers.”

In addition to taking part in the budget conversation events, individuals can ask questions or offer feedback through the KU Provost Office email account (provost@ku.edu) or anonymously online through the Provost Office feedback form. Lejuez also welcomes individuals to meet with him independently should they have specific issues or questions about the budget. To request an appointment, please inquire through provost@ku.edu.

Resources concerning the budget reduction — including videos and slide decks of previous conversations, and campus messages — can be found at https://provost.ku.edu/fy19-budget.

The final budget conversation of the fall semester will be 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5 in 120 Budig Hall. The general topic will focus on the efforts of KU leadership to develop and implement a new budget model.

Tue, 10/09/2018

author

Jill Hummels

Media Contacts

Jill Hummels

Office of the Provost

785-864-6577