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SDSU budget priorities and reserve funds

$27 million in Rainy Day funds

Our campus community recently received a Budget Central "University Update" e-mail which referred to a "centrally-held one time reserve" holding approximately $3 million.

Earlier, however, a group of SDSU researchers -- the SDSU PI Group -- uncovered the existence of Academic Affairs "Carry-Forward" funds (aka Rainy Day Funds). According to information that the SDSU PI Group obtained from our campus administration, the total "Carry-Forward" funds balance was more than $27 million as of June 30, 2010. (You can view the data provided to the SDSU PI Group at this link: http://heart.sdsu.edu/~website/SDSU_PI_Group/content/AAcarryforward.htm)

Priorities in budgeting -- Questions for Provost Marlin
CFA believes it is important that the faculty have a clear understanding of the administration's budgeting priorities and the scope of the funds available to the administration.

CFA raised this issue with Provost Marlin at the Senate Executive Committee meeting yesterday and asked her to provide information at the November Senate meeting on the following questions:

  1. The Carry-Forward funds spreadsheet provided to the SDSU PI Group indicates that the total "Sum of Funds Avail" as of June 30, 2010, was $27,392,334, and that the Carry-Forward funds grew by over $6.7 million during FY 09/10 (the year of the faculty furlough). Is the Carry-Forward Fund spreadsheet, as provided to the SDSU PI Group, accurate?
  2. What were the Carry-Forward fund balances at the end of FY 10/11 and as of September 30, 2011?
  3. Are the "Carry-Forward" funds the same as the "centrally-held one time reserve" that is referred to in the October 10 University Update e-mail?
  4. Is there written policy or guidance regarding Carry-Forward funds and how these funds are to be used? If so, will you provide copies of this information to the Senate?
  5. Have expenditures been made from Carry-Forward funds since June 30, 2010? If so, will you provide to the Senate information regarding these expenditures?

Budgeting priorities -- including the decision not to spend available funds -- impact all faculty members and our students. We look forward to discussion of these issues at the November meeting of the Senate.

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