Wilbur addresses transition, budget processes
The university presidential transition and looming budget cuts were the main topics of discussion as Interim University President Kathy Wilbur addressed Campus Conservatives Tuesday night.
The meeting, which took place in the Bovee University Center’s Lake St. Clair Room, continued a series of forums that Wilbur has hosted with various student groups around campus.
“We were very pleased to have Interim President Wilbur come to our meeting and speak with us,” said Hart junior Bryant Greiner, president of Campus Conservatives.
Wilbur announced that University President-designate George Ross will continue as president of Alcorn State University until Feb. 5 and she will serve as co-chair of a transition team that Ross will put in place to reaccumulate himself to Central Michigan University.
Wilbur said the transition team will consist of faculty students, administrators and community leaders.
“We want as many people part of that process as possible,” she said.
Wilbur announced she will attend Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s State of the State address on Wednesday in Lansing. She expects Granholm will release her budget recommendations on Feb. 11, then the legislature will begin hearings on the process.
Ross will testify on CMU’s behalf before the state senate on March 8 at Ferris State University and CMU will host State House of Representatives hearings around the dates of April 16 to 19.
The university received $80,064,200, or 26 percent of its 2009 to 2010 operating budget from state appropriations. The university’s operating budget for 2009 to 2010 is $307,985,819.
Wilbur plans to have students testify at the hearings held at CMU.
“Our strongest advocates are our students,” she said.
Wilbur said she has a pretty strong impression that Granholm will not issue executive order cuts, or budget “callbacks” from the university.
She said the university may be receiving more one-time funding from the federal government and feels those dollars should be focused on financial aid funding.
“We need to make some changes to financial aid,” she said. “We should shift merit (based) financial dollars to need (based) financial aid dollars.”
