December 21, 2015 Meeting of Administrative Council

Tom Teper, Shuyong Jiang, Chris Quinn, Susan Avery, Sarah Williams, Mary Schlembach, Lisa Romero, Joanne Kaczmarek, Mary Laskowski, Kyle McCafferty, Tom Habing, Greg Knott, Jeff Schrader, Cherie’ Weible, John Wilkin

1. Budget reduction discussion (Dean Wilkin)

Budget report

Dean Wilkin report that, as noted in communications related to budget reductions for FY17, we are working now to ensure we have a feasible strategy to absorb FY17 budget reductions. The target of $900,000 is in line with last year’s reductions, and though we do not yet have specific planning parameters from the campus, I am hopeful that this will be sufficient. As of last week, based on discussions in EC and in Cabinet, we have identified reductions that will meet this goal. This includes:

• General and administrative reductions rely primarily on eliminating most of the remaining flexibility in the academic pool (though not eliminating any open positions), reducing our IT equipment budget (accomplished through efficiencies made possible by campus IT services), a voluntary appointment level reduction to a position, eliminating individual perquisites such as parking where they exist, and discontinuing at least one membership. We will move costs associated with OCLC to the Collection budget, a strategy discussed with the provost. Finally, we are also including gradual elimination of Division Coordinator stipends, as each comes up for renewal; we are not proposing eliminating Division Coordinator hourly support or other stipends.
• User Services reductions strategies include some service point restructuring, staffing efficiencies, reductions of hours, retirements and voluntary appointment level reductions, and savings accomplished through a spousal hire.
• Collections and Technical Services reductions rely on planned retirements and resignations, and restructuring work through colocation of units.
• Research reductions depend on savings accomplished through a spousal hire and equipment savings accomplished through efficiencies made possible by campus IT services.

Questions included whether as-yet-unannounced retirements might affect planning (yes) and whether the move to the IT Powerplant services would result in mothballing the Library’s own data center (yes, but gradually, as some equipment will continue to be used until retired).

GA’s

Jacoby discussed the accelerated GA approval process, including the new schedule. Announcements of allocations of GAs will probably be made in late January; at latest February).  Units will be encouraged to post position openings by March and make appointments by April.   GSLIS is scheduling a “visit day” in late March that will include an opportunity for Library units to meet prospective GA candidates.

Upgrades

Knott reported that the Budget Group will begin evaluating a backlog of upgrade requests that have been held in light of the budget uncertainty. Our funding is limited, but we need to start dealing with several requests.