Editor’s Note: This is the second story of a two-part series about how each of the eight ISU undergraduate colleges is preparing for certain budget cuts in 2002-2003 academic year.

Under the pressure of future budget cuts, each of Iowa State’s eight undergraduate colleges is busy brainstorming possibilities and considering new directions while keeping students as a priority for the 2002-2003 academic year.

College of Design

Mark Engelbrecht, dean of design, said he formed an “envisioning group” six weeks ago to examine the structure and possible new directions of the college.

“Each college has been given target reductions,” he said. “The new directions for the future of the college will help us decide where the cuts will come from.”

This envisioning process has many steps, Engelbrecht said, which include the committee, the college faculty and the provost.

Opportunities have come from preparing for these cuts, Engelbrecht said.

“This has given us the occasion to radically rethink where we would like to go and what we would like to do as a college,” he said. “We have two options right now – to make lemonade or pucker up.”

College of Education

Walter Gmelch, dean of education, said his college will meet today to discuss several budget-reduction proposals.

“Each unit – departments and things like student services – is looking at target budget cuts,” he said. “We will talk collectively and evaluate the proposals.”

Gmelch said the guidelines established by the Task Force on Strategic Effectiveness and Budget Priorities as well as internal guidelines will be the bench marks for those evaluations.

“These are interesting times,” he said. “We need to reinforce our strengths.”

Gmelch stressed that every department and program is very important to the education college.

Long-range planning is also a major goal of the college, he said. Gmelch said a long-range plan will help determine new directions. In keeping with the mission of the university, he said, the college strives to provide strong training in science and technology.

College of Engineering

Dave Holger, associate dean of engineering, said the central funding cuts effective next semester will have major impacts on all parts of the university.

“That money would have been used for something,” he said. “There is a definite impact that will be felt by faculty, staff and students. Anything we’re putting off now has to be accounted for next year.”

The engineering college has asked department chairs and distinguished professors to continue generating possible solutions, Holger said.

“We’re at the stage where a lot of people are thinking,” he said. “We’re not thinking across-the-board, but rather we’re thinking of ways to operate more efficiently and more effectively.”

Engineering officials are considering consolidating courses with lower enrollment and fewer elective course offerings, Holger said. Activities may also be merged or eliminated, he said.

The ISU College of Engineering is the ninth largest in the nation, Holger said. Last year, the college faced a 60 percent reduction in the budget of its central administration.

“We protected departments because that’s where the students are,” he said. “We don’t have any easy choices to make – we’re facing some tough decisions.”

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Michael Whiteford, associate dean of liberal arts and sciences, said everyone in the college is doing their part to solve the problems.

“We know we’re going to be experiencing a cut, but the actual amount is a moving target right now,” he said.

Whiteford said LAS Dean Peter Rabideau has asked each department and program to prepare reports on how each unit would respond to a possible 3.55 percent budget reduction.

Graduate programs and general education course offerings are important to the college, Whiteford said.

“We are working really, really hard to make sure that there’s funding to teach,” he said. “That’s going to be more difficult next year. Clearly, departments are wrestling with these issues.”

Whiteford said he has an interesting perspective on the budget crunches.

“When I was chair of the anthropology department, my first objective was to protect the integrity of the department,” he said. “I thought very locally, and of course I can’t do that now.”

He said the Iowa Legislature and the Board of Regents have a two-way contract.

“I hope that they realize we are important to Iowa’s present and Iowa’s future plan,” he said. “It’s important to show them we’re using their money wisely.”

Then what?

Each college has been asked to consider the guidelines established by the Task Force on Strategic Effectiveness and Budget Priorities, said Mark Chidister, assistant to the president. After the vice presidents and provost have received reports from the colleges, they will present the reports to the task force. Based on task-force recommendations, President Gregory Geoffroy will use central funds to provide “enhancements” to colleges.

“We can’t put that money where we just took it from,” Engelbrecht said.

“The enhancements will help us move in those new directions.”

Whiteford recently attended a conference for deans and associate deans that gave him a different perspective on Iowa State’s budget cuts.

“I came away thinking our cuts appear to be on the low end of things,” he said. “These are very trying times, especially for state-funded universities.”