Good morning UMass Dartmouth!

Today, I write to you about resources and how we are using them to accomplish our mission. I know you will remember what I often say about our budget, that it is a means to our ends rather than an end in itself. Form follows function as our resources are aligned with our research, teaching and service goals.

UMass Dartmouth is slowly beginning to emerge from one of its most challenging fiscal periods, a three-year stretch of time during which the campus lost $12 million in annual state funding. We have persevered and our campus has continued to grow in many ways despite the challenges.

The Commonwealth is now beginning to re-invest in public higher education and assess what the long-term strategy must be to allow our campus and the 28 other university, state college, and community college campuses to thrive. In the days ahead, we all must be fully engaged in this dialogue. Still, it remains imperative that while this dialogue continues we are prudent in our own campus investments and manage in a manner that assures our long-term strength.

Modest revenue growth, targeted investments

This fiscal year, our campus has $4.1 million in new base revenues (state appropriation and students fees). The university was also able to re-allocate $2.7 million in the existing budget because the university has completed commitments to various loans and to recently retired employees.

Of this $6.8 million of available "new" revenue, $5.3 million was prioritized to fund significant mandatory expenses. These included: annualizing the salaries of full-time faculty hired last year; technology upgrades necessary to serve students; new part-time visiting lecturer benefits and other collective bargaining-related increases recently negotiated and that the campus is required to fund from the existing budget; energy cost increases; and increased financial aid for students.

The remaining $1.5 million - one percent of our total operating budget - was available to address advancing strategic priorities. This money has been invested in refilling additional faculty positions and filling new faculty and staff lines. It has also been directed toward revenue enhancement activity, primarily by building a competitive fundraising and marketing operation designed to increase non-state revenue. We have also invested in facilities, including the summer renovation of 20 classrooms.

We have established a Facilities Planning Group to begin to advance longer term capital projects such as lab renovation and other significant projects outlined in the Facilities Master Plan. We will also continue to invest in professional development for faculty and staff aimed at modernizing the way we conduct our business in an increasingly complex higher education market.

I want to thank everybody who provided input throughout the FY06 budget decision-making processes. There has been a clear willingness at every level to think creatively about how best to use finite resources to advance the mission of the university. Although we could not meet every request advanced, I believe we are building a solid ground for continuing to meet our broader strategic goals.

Most sincerely,

Jean F. MacCormack
Chancellor
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth