Facilitating Difficult Budget Discussions

April
2012

In these tough budgetary times, academic senate leaders can find themselves in the middle of some challenging, emotional discussions about class offerings and programs. Trying to address a budgetary shortfall, especially when a crisis develops rapidly, often pits faculty member against faculty member. Tension between colleagues is high, trust is low, and the ability to move forward can come to a stand still.

It may be useful to have an outside, neutral party come to your college or district to talk about preparing for the worst case, prioritizing class and program offerings, and developing a concrete plan for different budgetary scenarios. The Academic Senate is now providing technical assistance to facilitate such discussions on your campus. Executive committee members work with local senate leaders to plan and provide a workshop on budget planning with an emphasis on academic and professional matters.

The format of the workshop is flexible and can be adapted to local needs. It can range from two hours to an all-day retreat. It typically begins with a presentation of the current budget crisis and some possible pathways for surviving it. A key feature is the use of simulations to give decision makers experience with prioritization using varying levels of information. Interactivity and discussion are encouraged throughout.

Cost: The Academic Senate is also experiencing the effects of the budget crisis. To defray travel costs of the Executive Committee members, the Senate charges a fee of $750 for the budget discussions technical assistance.

How to Schedule: Please contact info [at] asccc.org (info[at]asccc[dot]org).