Eastern Ad-Hoc Budget Committee
Minutes
October 22, 2009
Connecticut Room, Gelsi-Young Hall

Attendance: Karyl Bulmer, Dennis Hannon, Kristin Jacobi, Elsa Núñez, Michael Pernal, William Salka, John Sweeney

Absent: Dave Bachand, Grace Enggas, Pat Christadore, Drew Hyatt, Douglas Lussier, David Mariasi, Diane Moore, William Newell, Dimitrios Pachis, Bruce Tyler, Robert Wolf

Meeting commenced at 2:00 pm

State Budget Update

• $3.88 million deficit projected, the number of available jobs is down, and income and sales tax revenues are down.
• The Governor is working on a deficit mitigation plan, however the investigation into her use of UCONN professors is being disruptive.

Tuition and Fees

• VP Hannon and AVP Sweeney will be meeting with the Student Government Association to talk about tuition and fee increases.
• AVP Sweeney handed out a Fiscal Year 2011 Revenue and Expense Scenarios worksheet.
• The scenario compared rate increases of 1%, 3.5%, 5%, and 7.5%. Each scenario required the use of the FY 2010 Set-Aside.
• The Board of Trustees wants to vote on the FY 2011 tuition and fees increase in November instead of in the Spring.
• Overall receivables are down from last fiscal year. We’re attracting a population with a greater ability to pay. We’ve also increased financial aid to a 17% set aside.

Budget Drivers – Fringe Benefits

• Three of the main budget drivers are utilities, maintenance contracts, and fringe benefits.
• A Cost of Fringe Benefits handout described the major factors that influence the cost of fringes. These factors include the retirement plan selected, the health insurance selected, and Social Security & Medicare participation.
• These costs are unlikely to decrease as Connecticut has mandated health plans that have to be offered and the next SEBAC negotiation is not until 2017.
• FY 2010 projected fringe benefit expenditures total $20,236,205. The University share is expected to be $7,634,665.

Next meeting will be Tuesday, November 24 at 2:00 in the Connecticut Room, Gelsi-Young Hall

Meeting adjourned at 2:45 pm

Respectfully submitted,

Karyl Bulmer, Assistant Bursar for Student Accounts