Jackie Jones, vice chancellor for administrative services, spoke Feb. 9 at the Staff Advisory Council meeting in the Student Center.
Jones discussed the 12.5 percent state funding cut to higher education proposed by Gov. Jay Nixon to help balance the budget of fiscal year 2013.
“Every public institution in the state of Missouri is coming to the conclusion that they’ll never see this money come back,” Jones said. “Everybody is trying to figure out how we can move forward in a successful and not a destructive way. And that’s very difficult.”
Council member Larry Bennett, senior associate director of recreational services, said that the “elephant in the room” is that layoffs are being considered in addition to the usual round of MU budget freezes and cuts.
“I feel the university has done a good job shepherding us through these things,” Bennett said. “But they talk about the potential for cutting jobs, which is the first time they’ve talked about that in a few years.”
A recent $26 billion multi-state mortgage fraud settlement will add $40 million to Missouri’s coffers. Nixon wants to use that money to soften the cuts to state public institutions. But Jones said the one-time settlement money might push the problem to next year’s budget.
In other business, the council revealed that, for this year’s Staff Recognition Week, Khesha Duncan received 81 nominations for the festivity’s award ceremony.
Duncan is looking for staff volunteers to assist the council from May 14 to18 in picking award finalists. Volunteers can reach her at duncankr@missouri.edu, or by calling 882-4802.
— Trevor Eischen