UW Board Chairman Appoints Budget Footnote Working Group

University of Wyoming Board of Trustees Chairman Kermit Brown has appointed an 18-member working group to prepare UW's response to directives connected with the Wyoming Legislature's recently approved budget appropriations for the university.

While the Legislature maintained UW's current level of funding for the next biennium, provided $27.7 million for employee pay raises and allocated additional dollars for university priorities, lawmakers added a budget footnote directing UW to "conduct a comprehensive review of UW's organizational structure and staffing patterns across all divisions, colleges, administrative units, auxiliaries and support functions."

The working group is charged with conducting that review and providing recommendations to the Board of Trustees, in preparation for development of an operational plan to present to the governor and the Legislature's Joint Appropriations Committee by Dec. 1.

Chairing the Budget Footnote Working Group are Brown and Trustee John McKinley. Other members are Interim Provost Anne Alexander; Scott Beaulier, the H.A. "Dave" True Dean of the College of Business; Sam Brodie, associate athletic director for budget and finance; Parag Chitnis, vice president for research and economic development; Vice President and General Counsel Tara Evans; Matt Griswold, vice provost for online and continuing education; Vice President for Budget and Finance Alex Kean; John Koprowski, dean of the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources; Vice President for Campus Operations Bill Mai; RoseMarie London, executive director and deputy secretary of the Board of Trustees; Vice Provost for Graduate Education Carolyn Pepper; Mike Smith, vice president for governmental affairs and community engagement; College of Arts and Sciences Dean Scott Turpen; the Faculty Senate chair; and the presidents of the Staff Senate and the Associated Students of UW.

"While Governor (Mark) Gordon vetoed the portion of the footnote requiring the university to identify 'at least $5 million in cost savings,' we received a clear message from the Legislature and the governor's veto message -- UW needs to make changes," Brown wrote in a charge letter to the working group.

Specifically, the group is charged with:

-- Identifying any positions or organizational units that are duplicative, overlapping or functionally redundant.

-- Assessing opportunities to consolidate, streamline or otherwise restructure administrative and academic operations to improve efficiency.

-- Evaluating staffing levels relative to similarly situated postsecondary institutions and industry standards.

-- Developing recommendations to reduce the overall number of positions while simultaneously considering the operational needs, service levels and institutional priorities of the university.

-- Identifying any potential cost savings and reinvestment opportunities that result from any recommended staffing or structural changes.

-- Compiling an inventory and recommending opportunities to eliminate degree programs with consideration of course participation and the number of recent graduates.

-- Compiling an inventory and recommending opportunities to further restrict any diversity, equity and inclusion program, activity or function.

The committee's charge aligns directly with the legislative budget footnote approved by the governor.

Brown's charge letter calls for the group to present initial findings and recommendations, along with suggestions for additional budget reductions, at the July Board of Trustees meeting. A draft operational plan is expected to be presented at the September board meeting and a final plan in November.