Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Nearly 60 recommendations resulting from a three-month effort are being released by a Mississippi State committee charged last October with identifying ways to respond to higher education budget cuts.
The President's Select Committee on Efficiencies and Innovations today [Feb. 17] is making the report available to the MSU community on a secure campus Web site.
Holland Faculty Senate President Hart Bailey, who coordinated the effort, said the committee's work was helped "by the fact that everything was on the table, and we had access to needed information."
Bailey added: "MSU President Mark Keenum made it clear from the outset that he wanted transparency at all levels of the process."
Convened by Keenum, the 33-member committee was a broad-based working group of faculty, staff, administrators, and student representatives.
"As part of a proactive and all-inclusive approach to our budget challenges, I sought advice from every segment of our university through the committee," Keenum said. "These individuals deserve high praise for their commitment and the many hours they deliberated."
Student Association President Blake Jeter of Madison, who represented the student body, said the opportunity to contribute was invaluable.
"Having a student's voice in the process was important," the senior biological engineering major observed. "These decisions are going to affect current and future students, and it was great to have their views represented on this committee."
Bailey and senate vice president Meghan Millea agreed that "working" was the operative word in the committee's assignment, with many Saturday meetings, intensive amounts of research and detailed analysis of data. The deliberations included a review of more than 560 suggestions from throughout campus.
"There were two components to our work," Millea explained. "One was identifying possible money-saving strategies; the second was developing suggestions for synergies that could strengthen or streamline academic programs."
Bailey said the group's charge "was to ensure continued quality of our academic programs, tie recommendations to MSU's mission and consider ways to minimize the impact on people.
"We got busy and did what we needed to do," he continued. "This group showed an incredible commitment to working together as a team."
The two faculty members emphasized that the report offers only recommendations, and that campus feedback and discussion will be required as suggestions are implemented.
"Some can be accomplished in the short term, while others will require much more study," Millea said.
An academic working group was chaired by Provost Peter Rabideau until his return to the faculty in late December. His duties were taken up by Interim Provost Glenn Steele, who focused on recommendations with the potential to improve and enhance academic programs.
"The committee's recommendations fall into categories that include university-level; college-level; department and discipline mergers and realignments; and degree program and course suspensions and deletions," Steele said.
A non-academic work group chaired by Mike McGrevey, vice president for finance and administration, reviewed administrative functions for ways to increase efficiencies.
"Under Dr. Keenum's leadership, we began to plan for reductions early in 2009, but these recommendations will play an important role in meeting our future budget realities," McGrevey said. Suggestions range from a retirement incentive to consolidation of campus units with similar functions.
Committee member Sam Manning, chair of the Professional and Support Staff Advisory Council, said staff involvement helped ensure representation of all campus constituencies.
"Everyone was at the table and had an opportunity for input," Manning said, adding that broader campus discussion now will be encouraged.
Campus feedback will be evaluated and considered as the proposals move forward. Said McGrevey: "It is important to Dr. Keenum that the campus be involved in analysis of the ideas generated from the process."
Keenum expressed "a deep appreciation" for the cooperation between the committee and the campus community.
"While there is much to be done, the committee has provided a well-reasoned plan to help achieve efficiencies and continue moving our university forward during these difficult economic times."
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For a copy of the report, reach University Relations director Maridith Geuder via contact information listed above.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.