Professors concerned about research budget cuts
Ferrari says budget cuts will not set precedent
By Lauren Hanvey and Sarah Chacko
Staff Reporters

Faculty Senate members expressed concerns about funding cuts in faculty grants Thursday. Members said they were unaware of the cuts and uninformed as to how deep they would be.

According to a handout from the Faculty Senate, containing information provided by Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs William Koehler, $83,000 is being cut from the Research and Creative Activities Fund (RCAF). Instructional development funds will be cut by $20,000, leaving only funds for new faculty grants and some amount for international experiences for faculty, according to the handout.

More than 60 faculty members attached their names to an e-mail petition complaining about the loss of funds. The e-mail was sent to deans, administrators and all faculty. The letter said faculty members understand the budget is tight, but they are concerned this cut may negatively impact the academic mission of TCU.

“RCAF has traditionally provided crucial materials, travel expenses for essential research and other support, without which faculty research and creative activity could not take place,” the letter said. “With the elimination of the research fund, some of the essential mission of the university — the creation of knowledge — is not going to be accomplished next year.”

Koehler sent out an e-mail responding to the complaints. In the e-mail, he said endowment revenues are decreasing and money had to be reallocated. He said he tried to do this in a way that would not mean cutting jobs or reducing operating budgets. He also said remaining money would go toward research for new faculty so they can start their research and get outside funding as a result of that research.

“Do I like to reduce budgets?” he said. “Certainly I do not. But when revenues are declining, options are limited.”

But professors say research is crucial to the function of the university.

“Research in itself benefits the classes that we teach,” said Lee Daniel, a professor of Spanish and Latin American studies.

Students have an advantage when professors bring them the latest trends, ideas and research in their field, he said.

Chancellor Michael Ferrari said the cut is relatively small and that, despite faculty concerns, this budget will not set a precedent for the future. If the people who sent the letter had any questions, they should have asked the provost, he said.

“Nothing was done any differently than it has been in previous years,” Ferrari said in reference to the budget-making process.

He said everyone is feeling stresses from the economy, including students, and that issues such as student financial aid are more important right now.

After receiving Koehler’s reply to their letter, some professors said they were more understanding of why the cuts were made to their research funding.

“(Koehler) would be the last person who would want to do this,” said Richard Enos, chairman of the English department. “He’s doing a very responsible thing in a very difficult time.”

The most important priority is that the new faculty gets money, said Gregg Franzwa, a professor of philosophy.

“It’s kind of a rock and a hard place situation,” he said.

Koehler agreed to meet with the Faculty Senate Executive Board to further evaluate the funding issue.

skiffletters@tcu.edu