More than 500 members of the Professional and Scientific Council voiced their opinions and concerns about the estimated $16 million to $24 million budget cut for Iowa State.

Kerry Dixon, P&S Council president, said feedback from the surveys proved helpful.

“We want to support the option to try anything but letting people go,” said Dixon, project coordinator for facilities, planning and management.

The survey was offered online for five working days and was based on a survey developed by ISU Interim President Richard Seagrave and David Hopper, Faculty Senate president, Dixon said.

The survey results were forwarded to Seagrave in hopes the administration will use the ideas, she said.

The survey addressed the concerns of increased costs for health care benefits, salary increases and appropriations and early and phased retirement programs.

According to the results, if health benefits are not fully funded, faculty would prefer that the administration to either reallocate money to cover the increase of under-funded costs or to use reallocation, cost sharing and benefits reduction to address under-funded cost increases.

Comments at the conclusion of the survey also offered ideas for administrators to consider during the budget cuts. The suggestion to consider more online courses and reduce classroom hours, making it possible to save energy by reducing heating and cooling costs was offered by an employee as a possibility to help take costs from other funding.

“There were some good ideas that haven’t been discussed yet,” said P&S Council Vice President Shawn Shouse. “There was a certain amount of frustration that there doesn’t appear to be any easy solution.”

Shouse, field specialist for the cooperative extension field program, said the survey was a good opportunity for employees to state their concerns and frustrations. “I was pleased with the well thought out explanations that people had written,” he said. “There was a lot of whole-hearted support toward the mission of the university. A lot of people have offered to make sacrifices for the good of the university as an institution.”