Dear Friends,
Welcome back to campus after what I hope was a restful and enjoyable break. As we prepare for students to arrive later this month, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a happy and productive 2010. The next decade is sure to bring us exciting opportunities as we build upon our traditions of excellence in teaching, research and service. I look forward to working with each of you toward meeting the challenges that lie ahead.
For Colorado, and the nation, one of those challenges is sure to be our financial state of affairs. News from the economic front continues to be mixed with the stock market stronger and financial institutions recovering, but unemployment and home foreclosure rates still high. Tax revenues remain flat and this is negatively impacting the state’s budget as well as that of Colorado State University. To that end, I would like to share with you the information I have regarding the CSU budget and that of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
Late last year, President Tony Frank announced that the University would need to reduce its base budget by $12 million for Fiscal Year 2011 (beginning July 1). This cut has been partitioned out to the various units of the University, with the College share being $1.4 million, or 5.6 percent of our Education and General budget. Administrative support units across campus will take higher percentage cuts than colleges. I have distributed a memo to our department and unit leaders outlining the proportional share of cuts to each unit and requested their revised budgets by January 6. Amy Parsons, Vice President for University Operations, has requested that each college provide its plan back to her office by January 13.
Because we were aware of these upcoming budget decreases, each unit on campus was able to plan in advance to make the best decisions possible to meet budget demands while maintaining our academic core. College deans will present their specific plans at the Planning and Budgeting hearings scheduled for January 27 in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center. The hearings begin at 7:30 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. At this point, I don’t have a schedule for the day, but if you are interested in attending and would like to know what time I will be presenting, send me an e-mail and I will get back to you with additional information when it is available.
In other campus news, on January 6 the College hosted a meeting of pre-veterinary advisers from surrounding western states. These advisers, who play an important role in the support and success of our veterinary students, were able to discuss their respective programs and share strategies for improved student outcomes. On January 9 and 10, the College hosts the 71st Annual Conference for Veterinarians at the Lory Student Center. I look forward to welcoming the DVM Class of 2000 back for a 10-year reunion dinner on Friday, January 8. On January 14-16, I’ll attend the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges meeting with other U.S. and Canadian veterinary school deans where our primary focus of discussion will be negotiating challenging financial times.
Finally, on January 23, I invite you all to attend the 11th Annual CVMBS Research Day, beginning at noon and ending with an awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. This event will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Fort Collins and features exciting research work in the biomedical and veterinary sciences from our undergraduate and graduate students. Join us as we celebrate their accomplishments and recognize their investigative endeavors. I look forward to seeing you there.
Best Regards,
Dr. Lance Perryman
Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
