Officials released a prioritization report to students this week.
An email was sent to the campus community at about 5 p.m. April 21 with a link to a version of the prioritization recommendations. Students thought they would receive the initial prioritization results in January when they were released to faculty and staff.
The prioritization process started in April 2014. The process is designed to determine what academic and support functions are necessary and what functions can be altered based on budget.
President Robert Henry, Provost Susan Barber and Donna Nance, chief financial officer, cosigned the email sent to students.
The email emphasized that the process is meant to help the university serve the students.
“You may be aware that throughout the last year, Oklahoma City University has been engaged in a prioritization process to reallocate financial and employee resources in a manner that best serves our students and secures OCU’s stability for the future,” the email read.
The university must make cuts in part because of a $1.5 million budget shortfall for the 2015-16 fiscal year. The recommendations include eliminating certain academic programs, which were not identified in the student version of the report. Fewer than 35 students would be impacted by these changes, if approved, according to the email. Those students would be contacted and advised so they still were able to graduate on time, the email read.
The prioritization document is located on StarNet.okcu.edu and is password protected. Students have to log in at the top of the page with their Bluelink login.
The document starts with a message from the president and the cabinet
The report covers every academic unit and support function, telling what the prioritization task forces recommended and whether the cabinet agrees with the recommendation or wants to alter it.
The only parts of the report not released to students were recommendations that impact specific people or academic positions.
The board of trustees will review these recommendations when making the budget for the 2015-16 fiscal year. The board is set to act April 22 on the recommendations.
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