Nix merit pay raises, but still go forward with an internal $21 million reallocation -- that's what a body reviewing reduction plans has recommended to Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin.
The group, which includes Interim Provost Karan Watson, also advised that the drafts released last week to deal with a worst-case state reduction be carried out as planned.
The plans, which were submitted by the deans and division heads, call for eliminating the equivalent of 485 full-time positions, including 210 currently filled, to meet a potential $39 million reduction that the state is asking for and a $21 million internal reallocation proposed by Loftin.
Loftin proposed the reallocation for two reasons: To fund a merit pay program -- which would cost roughly $12 million at a 2 percent level -- and put the rest toward the university's strategic goals.
About the merit program, the budget working group -- which was appointed by Loftin -- stated, "we do not believe this to be the highest priority strategic need for these funds."
But the group still recommended proceeding with the internal reallocation, That would mean more money for the yet-to-be-identified strategic priorities, and still the same reduction amount burden on the university's colleges and divisions.
Eliminating merit pay raises in fiscal year 2012 had strong faculty support, according to a poll released Monday, but the working group's recommendation was not what faculty had in mind, said Bob Bednarz, last year's Faculty Senate speaker.
He said the key concern was to save colleagues and staff from losing jobs.
"I don't think faculty want to give up raises just to get a bigger reallocation pool," Bednarz said.
He added: "Part of that is faculty don't know how the reallocation is going to occur, what it really means, or what process will be used to determine the priorities. All of that is unclear. Essentially, people don't want to sign a blank check."
Bob Strawser, a member of the working group and this year's Faculty Senate speaker, also said the process was unclear. A recommendation of his group was for Loftin, by Aug. 27, to set up the process and decision dates for deciding reallocations.
The thinking behind spending on strategic priorities is this: The university, especially in times of economic uncertainty, can't be great at everything, so it must sacrifice what it's good at to focus on what it's great at, Loftin has said.
The budget working group also wrote that if the state reduction turns out to be less than the full 10 percent planned for, then increases in merit pay be considered.
The committee -- which includes representation from faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, deans and vice presidents -- made the two pages of recommendations Friday.
Loftin could accept the suggestions as presented, make modifications, or send the plan back to the group with instructions, said university spokesman Jason Cook.
A sense of urgency exists in the discussion because some lecturers -- who make up a bulk of the proposed faculty layoffs -- must receive
12 months notice that their contract won't be renewed. The cuts would start for the two-year period that begins September 2011.
The finer details
* To read a copy of the budget working group's recommendations, go to:
http://finance.tamu.edu/budget/Budgetworkingrecommendations7-22-2010.pdf
* To read a listing of the group's membership, go to: http://finance.tamu.edu/budget/LeadershipGroup2010July20.pdf
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