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Convocation 2002 Key Points

Budget Situation at This Time

If what we know now holds [about the budget], we will have a $1,500,159 deficit. Originally, we would have received $5,239,664 more than we did last year. At the May revise, we were told to prepare for a 3.1 percent reduction in that amount, or $3,440,600. We are thus left with $1,799,064 in new funding. Then we must subtract another $3,299,223 in other mandated costs such as CMS.

Enrollment

Last academic year we annualized 14,750 FTES, about 500 FTES above our funded target. I asked the Office of Enrollment Management to reduce our enrollment and to bring it in line with our funding. Although we don't have final figures, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Bob Hannigan estimates the head count at 16,100 and FTES at or slightly below 14,345. The FTE budget for this year is 14,585, which includes 240 FTE from the summer 2002 program.

Grants and Contracts

What our faculty and staff accomplish in the area of grants and contracts defies logic. The national funding rate is typically around 33 percent. Our faculty and staff, this year, have a batting average of well over 68 percent. So far, we know that 319 of the 467 proposals submitted have been funded for a total of $23.8 million.

External Support

For 2000 - 2001, we raised a total of $4,483,379 in external support; $1.7 million came from alumni donations, $250,000 from parents, $750,000 from other individuals, $500,000 from foundations, $1.5 million from corporations, and the rest from other organizations.

Energy Cost Savings

Through energy conservation methods, better facilities use, and your help, we reduced electrical consumption by more than 1.5 million kwh and gas consumption by 63,000 therms, for a savings of about $160,000.

New Buildings and Acquisitions

Yolo Hall, the education classroom/faculty office building, should be completed this December. Proposition 47, a higher education bond measure, will have to pass in the upcoming elections to purchase equipment for Yolo. The proposed Student Services building also rests on Proposition 47 funds.

CSU, Chico is attempting to purchase a building at 25 Main, the twin of the building we acquired a couple of years ago. The university is also in serious negotiations to acquire 60 acres one mile south of the university, part of the former Barber property.

Dean Houpis of natural sciences, Ray Barnett in biology, and I are leading efforts to raise $7 million to build a Natural History Museum. In addition to the academic benefits that such a museum would provide, the museum would enhance the excellent relationship that already exists between the university and the community.

TII Project to Begin

The long-awaited start of the TII project, which will provide a standardized telecommunication infrastructure, will begin soon and continue through December. The $10.7 million contract will provide exterior underground construction and interior telecommunication cabling. A $2.8 million equipment contract following this infrastructure project will provide networking equipment and network and asset management systems.

For the full text of President Esteban's Convocation speech, go to http://www.csuchico.edu/prs/.