| With the AU Board of Trustees approval of the university budget for fiscal
years 2004-2005, we are moving to a two-year budget cycle to achieve greater
efficiency in the budget process and to implement multi-year initiatives
in the new 15-Point Plan. (Should external conditions change by fiscal year
2005, we will make appropriate adjustments at that time.)
This
budget is the result of an inclusive, collaborative process involving
the newly created University Council (comprised of faculty, students,
and staff), a reconstituted Faculty Senate, and the President’s
Cabinet.
To increase student quality and selectivity,
freshmen and transfer enrollments are budgeted at 1,265 and 415 respectively—lower
than this year. Graduate, Washington Semester, and non-degree enrollments
are budgeted
reasonably, with law school enrollments slightly lower than this year.
Consistent with the new 15-Point Plan, the budget provides for:
-
increased full-time faculty and reduced adjunct faculty;
-
competitive faculty-staff salaries and benefits;
-
enhanced academic programs;
- new
sources of revenue;
- increased
library materials;
-
more financial aid;
- improved
student health facilities and services;
-
expanded staff training;
- Katzen Arts Center and Greenberg Theatre debt
service and operations;
- expanded
global operations through the new Office of International Affairs;
-
a technology fund, including laptops for all teaching faculty; a three-year
replacement plan for desktops, printers, and central servers and hardware;
and a new one-card system;
- a
furnishings and capital equipment renewal fund, and a facilities improvement
fund;
- increased
premiums for property, casualty and health insurance; and
-
the financial safeguard strategies of tuition reserve and quasi-endowment.
Additionally,
the provost and vice presidents have been asked to develop ways to share
resources across divisions and realize additional cost savings. Measures
include increasing operating efficiency, consolidating services, eliminating
overlapping positions, outsourcing appropriate services, reallocating
internal resources, increasing the use of management technology, and eliminating
operations and services that are not consistent with the Plan.
For
fiscal year 2004, there will be a 6 percent increase in undergraduate,
graduate, and law school tuition rates, and a 5 percent increase in residence
hall rates. For fiscal year 2005, there will be a 6 percent increase in
undergraduate, graduate, and law school tuition rates, and a 5.5 percent
increase in residence hall rates. These increases will enable us to make
the needed improvements listed above and to implement the first phase
of the new 15-Point Plan. They are also consistent with projected increases
for private universities and housing in the Washington, DC area. For several
years, AU has managed to stay below the tuition increases of our competitors,
locally and nationally. The increases in this budget reflect a commitment
to improve the quality of our services and offerings while staying within
a competitive cost range.
I
would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who participated
in this year’s budget process. I am confident that the FY2004-05 budget
will provide the support we need to meet the university’s major
strategic goals.
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