University President George Ross has an array of issues to address just days after setting foot in Mount Pleasant and assuming the top leadership role at CMU.

“He’s going to have his hands full,” said Phil Squattrito, co-chairman of the transition team, chairman of the Academic Senate and professor of chemistry. “Any president is going to have a transition period and a learning curve ... He has the additional challenge because he will have to make decisions on the budget.”

Thomas Weirich, an accounting professor, agrees the most critical issue to tackle at this time is Central Michigan University’s budget, which could face significant cuts for the 2010-11 academic year.

Weirich said he knew Ross when he was vice president of Finance and Administrative Services at CMU from December 2002 to March 2007.

Ross addressed the CMU community in an e-mail Monday about a few issues, including the transition, administrative positions and budget. He said he does not want the hard economic times and budget discussions to paralyze the learning environment for CMU students.

On Monday, he will testify at Ferris State University before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education.

“While difficult decisions will be made regarding CMU’s budget, we must remain focused on making strategic decisions today that will position CMU as a stronger institution, ready to take even greater strides forward when the economy recovers,” Ross said in the e-mail.

Budget centers sent 3, 6 and 9 percent reduction plans in February to then-interim President Kathy Wilbur, who wanted to wait until Ross assumed the presidency before revealing possible cuts.

Moving forward

Ross also will spend the next few weeks getting acclimated to campus again.

The transition plan, which includes multiple subcommittees, will last about a year, with the final report due by Feb. 1, 2011, Squattrito said.

“We are hoping for a really good process,” he said. “Talking to people, gathering information. That will take place regardless of what happens with the budget.”

Student Government Association President Jason Nichol said he thinks Ross will take time to familiarize himself with the CMU community before making any decisions.

Nichol, co-chairman of the student priority subteam, is hopeful Ross will take into consideration the students’ concerns.

“At this stage, there is a lot going on,” the Mount Pleasant senior said. “It will highlight any concerns we might have. Tuition will be brought up, student involvement will be brought up. A variety of things will focused on.”

Ross also mentioned filling vacant administrative positions in his e-mail. He said the university will move forward in the near future with several searches.

Weirich is on the search committee for finding a dean for the College of Business Administration. The committee hopes to have candidates for the dean position brought to campus at the end of March.

“It gets his team together to move forward,” Weirich said.