Fall 2007 Breakfasts and Faculty Forums

Please find below information about the breakfast discussions and faculty forums held during the Fall Semester of 2007, as well as links to other related information. During these events both Compete Missouri and the FY09 budgeting process were discussed with MU faculty members, Deans, Faculty Council, Undergraduate Deans and Department/Division Chairs. The intention of these events was to provide transparency about Compete Missouri and the FY09 budget process and encourage interested members of the MU faculty to participate in this discussion.

Related Links and Documents

"Mizzou Budget 101" Presentation Shared at Breakfasts and Forums

For most recent budget information go to: Budget Presentations

Compete Missouri: MUs New Financial Plan

Compete Missouri Process

Breakfast Discussions

We received 89 RSVPs for the breakfast discussions and two additional dates were added to accommodate everyone who wished to participate.

September 27, 2007: Email Invitation to Breakfast Discussions

Subject: Invitation to Breakfast Discussion with Provost Foster

This invitation is being sent to Faculty Council, Undergraduate Deans and Department Chairs.
 
Provost Foster would like to invite you to join him for breakfast to discuss the current budget issues facing our campus. These breakfasts will be informal discussions to hear your feedback, input, and questions on various financial topics.
 
The Deputy Provost, Ken Dean, and the MU Budget Director, Tim Rooney will also be attending. Tim Rooney will share the budget scorecard and the financial "Needs List" with you.
 
Breakfasts will be from 7:30 to 9:00 AM on the following dates:
 
Wednesday, October 10
Tuesday, October 16
Wednesday, October 24
Tuesday, October 30
Wednesday, November 7
 
In order to make sure that everyone has a chance to participate in a valuable dialogue, we will have space for 12 participants at each breakfast. Space will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
Please reply with your first and second date choice. You will receive a confirmation email with a location. If these dates fill up quickly, we will add additional dates so we can accommodate everyone who is interested in participating.

October 1, 2007: Follow Up to First Email Invitation to Breakfast Discussions

Subject: RE: Invitation to Breakfast Discussion with Provost Foster

This email is being sent to those of you who have not confirmed a date for breakfast. If you have received a confirmation from me, you are receiving this in error and you can ignore this email.
 
All original dates for breakfast are now full except for Wednesday, November 7th. I have one seat available on that date.
 
We have added an additional date on Tuesday, November 27th and have 12 seats available on that date. Please let me know if you would like to attend. Seats will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

Faculty Forums

We received 84 RSVPs for the forums.

October 9, 2007: Email Invitation to MU Faculty

From: MU Faculty Open Forums
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 3:13 PM
To: MU FACULTY
Subject: Invitation from Faculty Council and the Office of the Provost

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

During the past year we have spent considerable time and effort working to address salary inequities and the budget deficits facing our campus. This financial pressure has been built into our budgeting process over time as we continually strive to maintain the excellence of MU while the state of Missouri continues to rank near the bottom of the nation in per capita state appropriations for higher education. 

We all can probably agree that affordable access to higher education for all Missourians is of primary importance to us and is a significant part of our mission as Missouri’s flagship university. However, the means for achieving this goal leaves this campus in considerable danger. With the passing of Senate Bill 389 we face additional barriers in raising revenue to support the quality education that we deliver.

We are taking steps towards improving faculty salaries but this of necessity will require additional internal reallocations. We recognize that this has implications for teaching and research. While we have made considerable cuts and administrative reallocations during the past two years, we need to actively manage what we deliver and how we deliver it to ensure the future prosperity of the University. That is why the Faculty Council and The Office of the Provost would like to invite you to an open forum to discuss these difficult issues.

We will have two open forums on October 22nd and 23rd. We hope you will consider joining us for one of them.

Details:
October 22 from 3:00 to 5:00 in Columns D & E of the Reynolds Alumni Center
October 23 from 3:00 to 5:00 in Columns A & B of the Reynolds Alumni Center

In order to facilitate discussion, we are limiting attendance to 50 participants per forum. Please reserve your seat by sending an email with your date preference and your name to MUFacultyOpenForums@missouri.edu. If these forums are filled, we will add additional dates to accommodate everyone who is interested in participating.

Sincerely,

Brian Foster, Provost
Frank Schmidt, Chair, Faculty Council