Dear Campus Colleagues:

Unfortunately, late Friday afternoon, the Governor withheld additional funding from higher education.  Truman, along with the other four year public higher education institutions, will be subject to a 9% reduction in core funding as opposed to the 6.58% that was recommended in the budget sent to the Governor (the Governor initially recommended a 9% cut to higher education).  Fortunately, we planned for the 9% cut in the FY 2018 bridge budget we developed during the end of the spring semester.

To control our own destiny, it is imperative we complete the third step of the budget process we developed in the spring semester.  The third step was initiated with the work of the Organizational Excellence Advisory Group (OEAG) that met three times during March and April (http://wp-internal.truman.edu/organizationalexcellence/).  The work of the OEAG and the next components of the decision making process will be presented at the Strategic Planning and Assessment Workshop (SPAW) in August.

We have difficult, but important decisions to make in this upcoming academic year.  I am confident in our ability to work together and generate solutions that are in the best long-term interest of our University.  Truman has faced its challenges head on in the past 150 years; as we begin our next 150 years, we owe it to those who came before us, those who are with us today, and those who will be with us in the future to face our current challenges head on.

I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July holiday filled with family, friends, laughter and love.

Best regards,

Sue