Augusta State University's faculty and staff must shoulder the financial burden set on them by state funding cuts, President William A. Bloodworth Jr. said Tuesday.
"When we don't have the state dollars that we need, we must reach into our reserves," Dr. Bloodworth said during his annual state of the university address, the first official meeting of faculty members. "Our reserves are dedication, commitment, loyalty and hard work. Our reserves are in our people. They are in you. They are in all of us. And we need every one of you."
As the university makes more than $2 million in cuts, faculty and staff are being asked to perform multiple jobs, and the president is no exception. ASU freshmen might be a bit surprised when they walk into their English classes this fall and see Dr. Bloodworth, who will be teaching English 1101.
The president said some non-faculty positions will be frozen, travel reduced and purchases of some equipment delayed. The cuts are ASU's share of the burden as the state works through a $1.6 billion projected revenue shortfall.
"No one knows how all of this is going to work out, but I think it is best to assume that our state allocations will be cut by well over $2 million," Dr. Bloodworth said. "And I want you to understand one other thing, which is that layoffs -- a term you may have heard used elsewhere -- is the absolute last option that we would ever consider in dealing with budget cuts."
The university already spends less on administrative costs per student than any other institution in the system, the president said, and nearly a quarter of all credit hours earned are taught by part-time faculty members.
The state funding is declining as the university prepares for an increase in enrollment, Dr. Bloodworth said afterward. Admissions are up about 13 percent from the same time a year ago.
But Dr. Bloodworth remained optimistic, quoting country singer Dolly Parton, as he has in previous years: "If you want to see the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain."
"This is a heck of a place: so much talent, so much dedication and commitment, so much hard work, so much smart work, so much value added to the lives of our students, our community and our world," Dr. Bloodworth said. "What we did last year means a stronger foundation for what we will do this year. We've set a strong foundation for the future every year. And we've done so with very modest resources."
Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.
After hearing the effects of state budget cuts on ASU, state Sen. Ed Tarver suggested a way to start offsetting the $1.6 billion shortfall.
LAWMAKERS WANT TO HELP BY DELAYING MCG EXPANSION
\ FOR SPECIAL SESSION: Mr. Tarver called for Gov. Sonny Perdue to hold a special session of the General Assembly to review the state's finances and consider delaying the expansion of the Medical College of Georgia to Athens."Maybe that is a priority, but that's something that can be delayed," he said.
When the budget was first approved, Mr. Tarver said, the General Assembly's priorities were education, health care and tax relief.
State Rep. Quincy Murphy, the chairman of the local legislative delegation, said after hearing Tuesday's speech that he would also support a delay in expanding MCG to Athens. Mr. Murphy wants a special session as well.
AGAINST SPECIAL SESSION: State Rep. Ben Harbin, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said everything in the state's budget is being scrutinized and everything must be justified, including the MCG expansion, but that a special session isn't the answer.
"I don't think it's time to panic and go into special session," he said Tuesday after having met University System of Georgia officials earlier in the day to discuss finances. "They're cuts nobody wants to be, but they are cuts they think they can handle."
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