Dear CSN Family,
Yesterday, the Board of Regents approved initial budget reduction proposals from each of the state’s higher education institutions.
As you can see in our initial proposal, CSN, like our sister institutions, will absorb cuts of 4 percent this year and as much as 14 percent next year. We have proposed to accomplish this through a variety of means including the use of federal stimulus dollars, a hiring freeze and reductions in travel and operating budgets. Cuts at the highest proposed levels could result in temporary student surcharges and professional staff furloughs. Layoffs are not part of our proposal.
While these proposed cuts are serious, I remain optimistic about our ability to protect our students success mission, our accreditation and shared governance standards, and our ability to perform essential business functions required to do business, including specialized areas such as financial aid and contract compliance.
While it is early in the process and there are many details left to work out, I have already formed a Budget Response Team to ensure we are true to our principle of shared governance, so our faculty, staff and students will have input into the process. All stakeholders will have a seat at the table to ensure that necessary sacrifices are equitable.
Please know that no matter the level of cuts, there will be unavoidable impacts on the level of services we can provide our students. I have confidence in our ability to collectively step up and help close those gaps and I know we will. I truly believe that our commitment to our students will motivate us to stay the course during these difficult times.
There is also reason for optimism because enrollment at CSN and community colleges across the nation increases during economic downturns. A record number of Southern Nevada residents who are currently unemployed or displaced will turn to CSN for education and retraining opportunities. I know we will be ready to do our part to jump start the regional economy and equip our students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed and prosper.
In closing, I want to remind you of our Virtual Town Hall meeting next week, where you will have an opportunity to hear more details and ask questions about our proposal. Thank you all and have a wonderful Easter weekend.
Stay Safe and God Bless.
Federico Zaragoza
President
College of Southern Nevada