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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Wednesday's Message


A couple weeks back, we held the first MCC Budget Forums at Brighton and Damon. If you missed the forum, you can now access the presentation —complete with narration -- here.

https://www.monroecc.edu/depts/president/presentations/Budget_9-15-10/Budget%20Presentation%20to%20College%20Community%20w%20audio.pps

If you were there, you’ll remember that part of the presentation addressed the almost 20% of our current state aid that is still coming from federal stimulus dollars. This percentage translates into about $7 million of our $128 million 2010-2011 budget. As we look forward to the next budget year, we must ask two key questions regarding this reliance on stimulus: Will New York find state revenues to replace these federal funds (in whole or in part)? And, how will we build our budget if the state does not?

At present, these are merely questions, but we also think they provide us with an opportunity. As you know, MCC has in the past done many emergency scenario tabletop exercises to facilitate college-wide planning and assure campus readiness. For example, last fall, we did an H1N1 tabletop to assure that our response plan would work as intended. Luckily, the reality of H1N1 did not live up to the hype. But, if it had, we were ready.

We are hoping that the hype of the potential higher education budget impact of the end of stimulus will overshadow the reality. However, it seems wise to engage in a tabletop exercise to address how the college would respond if we had to reduce our budget next year to bridge this gap. It is far easier to think through the scenario now—when we have the luxury of time and the MCC community on campus—than it would be to tackle this discussion near the end of spring term or in summer—when we would have neither.

All of this lead-up is to share that I’ve asked the vice presidents to work within their divisions on a budget-based tabletop exercise. The scenario is simple: What would MCC do if our state aid was reduced by the total amount of the stimulus funding ($7 million)? The vice presidents will be working within their divisions (and I, within mine) throughout the year to tackle this question.

Our work will be guided by one key non-negotiable, MCC’s mission: “to provide access to high quality education and training programs to a diverse community. Student success is the college’s highest priority.” The results of the tabletop must also support the resource allocation priorities established last year by the Budget Resource Committee. Additionally, we will look to the BRC itself as a valuable college resource, capturing the diversity of voices and thinking from across MCC (including representatives from all employee sectors and our governance partners).

I want to underscore that this tabletop is truly only a test, an exercise. But, as we all know, if we don’t exercise our muscles, we won’t have them when we do need them. So, continue sending your ideas regarding expenditure reductions to moneysavingtips@monroecc.edu. Also, begin budget discussions within your departments and offices that can be shared within your division and incorporated into the college-wide exercise. An update on MCC’s budget tabletop will be part of the fall Message to the College Community on Monday, October 25 at noon at Damon, and Tuesday, October 26 at 3:30 at Brighton.

What are your thoughts about this tabletop? Please share them on the blog.

Anne M. Kress
President
09/29/2010