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Sequestration,By Louise Annarino,2-26-2013

Universities are cities within themselves,with their own president and provost CEO,treasurer CFO,board of directors, and department heads of academic and administrative agencies. Their purpose is to serve the public by educating students,conducting research to advance economic productivity through discovery and innovation,and to engage in service to the university and world community.My first university job was as a resident assistant in co-ed hi-rise residence hall Lincoln Tower within the Department of Student Affairs,then as summer guide for parent orientation. While studying for a masters degree, Student Personnel in Higher Education awarded 1972 by The Ohio State University, I interned in the offices of admissions,financial aid,and Greek life. After a stint as a social worker at a maximum security prison for women,I became a resident counselor and moved to University of Cincinnati, joining three others as Resident Counselors of Sander Hall,overseeeing the student residence life,maintenace and housekeeping,and food service staffs. Sander, a 27 story coed hi-rise, was a small town within the U.C. community, housing 1300 students.During law school at U.C. I developed an off-campus housing office within the Housing Department. Following 5 years as a Legal Aid Attorney I returned to university work as Associate Director of Legal Affairs for Ohio University,Athens and Assistant Attorney General,State of Ohio. My university experience was invaluable in understanding the structure and governance of institutions dedicated to a public purpose. I love the cities called “university”. I love the core mission of teaching,research and servive. I especially love public universities such as those I served, whose focus is on the public good, and which use tax dollars to better the lives of our citizens, and strengthen our larger communities.

Across-the-board budget cuts are common occurrences within universities. Some handle budget cuts better than others. OU had a brilliant strategy allowing departments to keep any surpluses which they could accrue through efficiencies rather than returning  unused funds to the general fund at the end of the budget cycle. This encouraged savings and allowed departments to creatively use those saved monies as they saw fit. Such savings did not reduce the amount budgeted for the new cycle. They were not considered. In universities where unspent funds must be returned to  the general funds, departments notoriousy spend those funds on items of uncertain value rather than appear to have been granted more funds than they need,possibly resulting in cuts to later budget cycles. There is much more to sound fiscal budget management than numbers alone. The psychology of human nature must be taken into consideration as well.

During my time at Sander Hall one resident Counselor or RC left,not to be replaced. A second RC took maternity leave. A third was reassigned to replace the director of the alumni affairs office. I was left alone to perform the tasks of four RCs, part of a budget-cutting process. My staff of 28 undergraduate and graduate assistants offered to pick up RC tasks to assist me. I insisted they not do so. To have done so successfully would have undermined their own responsibilities to advise and counsel students,adversely affected their primary goal regarding their own educational experience, and belittled the positions of RCs making it likely there would be no budget increase for new personnel in the coming years. Instead we reconfigured the tasks to cover only those matters of essential or emergency nature. We had to let many tasks remain undone,those of least consequence to health and safety. Even so, a time study conducted by an independent company clocked my work week as requiring 96 hours of direct student conduct. This did not cover other duties related to managing the  residence hall, nor contact with staff. I was burned out; but neither my residence staff,maintenance and housekeeping staff, nor food service staff suffered burn-out. And the students’ needs were met. The only persons unhappy with the manner in which I handled the budget cuts were those responsible for the cuts.I refused all assignments for additional duties,did not have time to return their calls nor complete the reams of their required reports. I held fast to completing the core mission of teaching, counseling,housing and feeding students in a safe and secure environment. I left the following year,replaced by four RCs.

I imagine directors of programs facing sequestration cuts would appreciate flexibility in designing those cuts. I know I did. Regardless,our public employees who see their responsibilities increase while their salaries are frozen are now being asked to carry the burdens of a mission under attack by those who swore to support that mission when they took their oath of office as U.S.Senators or U.S.Representatives. Retirement figures for government employees are at an all-time high;the best and most experienced workers are leaving government employ.

One significant difference from the current sequestration cuts scheduled to occur March 1st. and those across-the board cuts of universities, is that university department heads had discretion to cut what and where they saw the best opportunity for saving without disturbing the core mission of the university. They were not required to cut every “activity” or “item” equally,or even at all. This allowed the mission to continue. Clearly, the Republican refusal to stop sequestration is not an effort to cut “fat” from government or even to reduce the cost of government; but, it is an effort to deride the core missions of the government. When they state that their purpose is to create smaller government  they mean reducing its mission. We all agree with President Obama that we can and must reduce the “fat” but Mitch McConnel and John Boehner want to kill the patient. This is why the Republican position is so repugnant. We are a government of the people,by the people and for the people. Self-destruction is not pretty.