Eastern Ad-Hoc Budget Committee
Minutes
November 24, 2009
Connecticut Room, Gelsi-Young Hall

Attendance: Dave Bachand, Karyl Bulmer, Dennis Hannon, Drew Hyatt, Kristin Jacobi, David Mariasi, Diane Moore, Elsa Núñez, Michael Pernal, William Salka, John Sweeney, Robert Wolf

Absent: Grace Enggas, Pat Christadore, Douglas Lussier, William Newell, Dimitrios Pachis, Bruce Tyler

Meeting commenced at 2:00 pm

Motion to accept the minutes of the previous meeting (W. Salka, D. Mariasi - Passed)

Savings Update

• The University has achieved non-personal services savings of $1,775,318 from January 2009 through June 2009 as compared to the same time period for 2008. During the period of July 1, 2009 through October 31, 2009, the University has reduced nonpersonal services spending by $2,051,354.
• The savings were achieved through Work$mart initiatives, prudent spending by departments, monitoring office supply purchases, and a cool summer.
• It was decided that the Committee would send out an acknowledgement letter through e-mail to all departments, thanking them for their efforts.

Budget Update

• AVP Sweeney shared handouts from the CT General Assembly – Office of Fiscal Analysis
  about the FY 11 and FY 12 budget concerns.
• The state is in the second year of a five year problem.
• Eastern is trying to meet this problem by:
  o trying to avoid layoffs
  o not overburdening students
  o leveraging grant money
  o helping students graduate on-time
  o achieving savings while still providing services
• A new governor in 2011 could require layoffs for concessions
• The savings Eastern is achieving now will help us weather the storm ahead and maintain and invest where we need. We’ll be able to take greater control of our destiny.
• AVP Sweeney also had handouts from the Office of Policy & Management:
  o Projected Balance of the General Fund – A forecast through FY2014; surpluses could have been greater, but the funds were spent on one-time projects.
  o Unfunded Pensions – Chart showing how much the state employees retirement system pension liabilities continue to grow.
  o Structural Holes – Factors causing holes in the general fund and their impact on FY2012.
  o Long Term Obligations – The state’s long-term obligations total $61.7 billion.

• Eastern received some negative press in the Willimantic Chronicle about abandoning the town by holding our graduation ceremony in Hartford’s XL Center. The feedback received from graduates and families have all been positive. We do still hold the Saturday picnic here on campus which helps support the town’s businesses.
• AVP Sweeney will attend the December 1st Senate Meeting.

Next meeting will be Thursday, December 17 at 9:00 in the Connecticut Room, Gelsi-Young Hall

Meeting adjourned at 2:47 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Karyl Bulmer
Assistant Bursar for Student Accounts