OPEN FORUM ABOUT BUDGET, PASSHE STATEMENT
F. Javier Cevallos
March 9, 2011

Dear Campus Community,

On Tuesday, March 15 at 11 a.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium, I will be holding an open forum to discuss Governor Corbett’s recently proposed budget cuts to higher education.   The proposal calls for a cut of approximately 50 percent to our state appropriation.  

Given the serious nature of the Governor’s recommendations, it is important to have an open and honest dialogue among the KU community so we can all better understand how this could affect our institution.  

Kutztown University has long been a center of educational excellence in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  I encourage all of you to attend the open forum on Tuesday, as your input and observations are important to our continued success.

Below is the statement from PASSHE in response to the Governor’s proposal.   It is clear that this is truly an unprecedented situation --- one which will require everyone at KU and PASSHE to pull together as we move forward.  

Thank you for your time and I hope to see you on Tuesday.

Sincerely,

F. Javier Cevallos
President

PASSHE Statement:
First and foremost, we are deeply concerned about the dramatic impact this budget could have on our students and their families.  We want to assure them that we will do everything possible to avoid disruptions in their education.  We are most committed to our core missions of providing quality education at an affordable cost and to creating opportunities that will ensure their success, both in their careers and in their lives.

The leadership of the System historically has accepted the challenge of being responsible stewards of public funds.  “While we cannot address the impact of the proposed budget cuts only by reducing our costs, we will build on our successful record of $200 million in cost reductions during the past decade,” said John Cavanaugh, Chancellor of the State System of Higher Education.

“Those efforts were key to our ability to hold annual tuition increases below the rate of inflation in four of the last six years.”

Our decisions will be guided by the four major strategic initiatives recently endorsed by our Board of Governors, all of which are focused on student success measured by:

• the quality of education we deliver;
• the creation of the best learning environments which includes the appropriate use of technology to expand and enhance student learning;
• generating sufficient resources to support our universities; and
• working in partnership with our communities and the Commonwealth to help create and sustain a strong economy.