No appointments made to replace trustees by Gov. Rick Snyder

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CMU has not been privy to information concerning potential candidates to replace two former board of trustees members, though names are being discussed.

Steve Smith, director of public relations, said the university usually does not know who the appointed trustees will be until an “hour or so” before the appointment is made.

“That is one of those things we don’t know until the governor makes the announcement,” Smith said. “We don’t get any information or have a role in making that decision.”

A spokesman for Gov. Rick Snyder said the governor is not required to make appointments immediately following another trustee’s term expiration.

Smith also said it is unknown if former chairwoman Stephanie Comai or Gail Torreano will be reappointed to the board. The duo, whose terms expired Dec. 31, were simultaneously appointed during John Engler’s terms as governor.

Kathy Wilbur, vice president of Government Relations and Public Affairs, said six to seven schools are in need of trustee replacements.

“The vast majority, if not all of them, have board meetings in February and (Snyder’s office is) trying to have them done (in time for those meetings),” she said.

Wilbur said she and University President George Ross are allowed to give recommendations for trustee appointments, but the ultimate decision lies with the governor.

The board members voted to appoint Sarah Opperman, whose term expires in 2016, as the new chair during the Dec. 2 meeting.

Executive order budget cuts

Wilbur said it is too early to determine whether Snyder will actually issue executive cuts as rumored.

Snyder has the ability to issue an executive order this month to indicate payments to institutions will be held up, taken away or even cut because of the state’s finances.

This year’s state budget is predicted to be at least a $1.7 billion shortfall, which could mean a 20 percent reduction in state appropriations for CMU in 2011-12.

The legislature will review any proposed cuts; they can either vote to accept the proposal as written or deny it, or not vote at all. If no vote is taken, the cuts go into place.

Wilbur said more information will be available after the Revenue Estimating Conference takes place with the governor next week.

“The logical thing to do … is to wait for the Revenue Estimating Conference,” Wilbur said. “That is my supposition.”

Smith said the university prepared a contingency plan to buffer the sting if cuts came.

“When the budgeting process was put together, we took that into account, and it was built into the current budget,” he said.

Roughly $5 million was pooled in reserves to patch potential budget holes from executive cuts.

In September, the legislature allocated $80,132,000 to CMU for the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. It was a loss of $2,304,000 from 2009-10 funding levels.

In a previous interview with Central Michigan Life, David Burdette, vice president of Finance and Administrative Services, said budget reductions will be employed to prevent increasing tuition rates as much as possible if reserves do not cover the potential shortfall.