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General Questions
Q: Why has Rensselaer had to reduce its budget?
A: While the Chief Investment Officer has insured that the Institute’s endowment is prudently invested (see Q&A with Walé Adeosun), like all other institutions, our endowment has been affected by the overall market downturn. Other sources of revenue, including tuition, gifts, and sponsored research, also are likely to be affected over the next several years as individuals and government funding agencies struggle to get through this difficult time. Steps needed to be taken proactively to weather the economic downturn, which is projected to continue for some time.
Q: What steps has Rensselaer taken?
A: A hiring freeze was implemented for both faculty and staff, with the exception of strategically important searches. Every portfolio on campus also was asked to reduce its budgets without reductions in salary, and each portfolio’s operational expenses were reduced in areas such as travel, advertising, and consulting services. Those measures had the effect of minimizing the number of staff members affected later by the reduction in force. As the economic situation worsened, further budget reductions became necessary and the difficult decision was made to reduce the staff by 80 positions in early December 2008.
Q: How will the current cost-saving efforts affect undergraduate and graduate education?
A: Our students and faculty remain our top priorities. Teaching and research are critical to Rensselaer's mission, and we have taken every measure possible to ensure that our academic programs are minimally affected by necessary budget reductions. In making decisions about various cost-saving initiatives, we have consciously considered the potential impact on both research and teaching, and we have strived to ensure that we will continue to provide a top-tier educational experience. In addition, we are committed to helping students and their families address any economic or financial factors that could impact their ability to attend or remain at Rensselaer.
Q: Why did we have to reduce our budget when we just reached the goal of a $1.4 billion fund raising campaign?
A: The generous gifts from our donors have certainly mitigated the impact of this crisis. Were it not for their commitment to Rensselaer, our financial situation would be much worse. That being said, much of the over $1.4 billion raised in the Renaissance at Rensselaer campaign has been in the form of gifts restricted for specific purposes and endowment growth. These gifts have helped us develop and enrich the student experience, add significantly to our faculty resources, and fund important academic and cultural platforms such as the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, EMPAC, and CCNI. Also, as in any campaign, many gifts come in the form of pledges that are paid over the course of several years.
Q: How does this situation impact The Rensselaer Plan?
A: By acting early and proactively in the fall of 2008, we have enabled the continued implementation of The Rensselaer Plan, and there has been no change our long-range goals. Throughout the budget modification process, we have strived to position Rensselaer to be ahead of the game when economic and financial circumstances begin to improve. The actions we have taken have placed us in a strong position to withstand the economic downturn, and we believe we are now better able to manage the unprecedented financial circumstances that are affecting institutions everywhere.
Q: Why are we building new buildings on campus if we are facing a budget crisis?
A: Advancing the campus facilities and infrastructure continues to remain an important priority in order provide our future and current faculty and students with the best possible resources for teaching, learning, research, and student life. Funding for campus construction comes from a number of sources. Many of these sources, including philanthropic gifts, are designated by donors for specific projects and cannot be used to support the Institute’s general operating budget. The new buildings on campus were paid for with funds outside of the general operating budget. Like many institutions of higher learning, Rensselaer will complete capital projects already underway, but will defer beginning any major new ones until the financial situation stabilizes.
Q: Have all portfolios been affected equally by budget cuts?
A: All portfolios have been impacted by the cost-saving initiatives. Given that they face unique operating circumstances and requirements, the impact on each portfolio cannot be identical, but all of them have implemented significant cost-cutting measures.
Q: Have all job levels been equally affected?
A: We did not target specific job levels at any point in the process.
Q: Have there been cuts in the President’s Office?
A: Yes. The Office of the President has faced the same types of budget cuts as all other portfolios.
Q: How long will the cost-saving initiatives be in place?
A: The hiring freeze and the non-salary budget reductions will remain in place for the foreseeable future. In addition, the President – in conjunction with the portfolios of Finance and Human Resources – will determine the duration of the cost-saving measures including vacancy management and budget reductions.
Q: Will these cost-saving efforts fix the problem? Will more actions be necessary?
A: These cost-saving measures put us in a better position to operate under current and immediately foreseeable financial circumstances. Given the unpredictable nature of the worldwide economic situation, it would be impossible for us to attempt to definitively predict the future. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Q: Will safety be affected by the cuts to staffing and/or operating expenses?
A: We are committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure the Rensselaer campuses and facilities are as safe as possible. In fact, we recently hired a new Director of Emergency Management, and the Comprehensive Emergency Management Planning Committee continues to develop policies and procedures to enhance campus safety. This is an area that we take extremely seriously at Rensselaer.
Q: How will the cost-saving efforts impact non-teaching functions, such as administration, IT, building and grounds maintenance?
A: All support services will be impacted by the budget reductions, but we are confident that all non-teaching functions will be able to maintain acceptable performance levels, especially with respect to the pursuit of our core mission and where basic support systems such as health and safety are concerned.
Faculty & Staff Questions
Q: Will any changes be made to the faculty?
A: While the entire instructional staff are a vital part of the Rensselaer community, our tenured and tenure-track faculty remain the anchor of the Institute. Their appointment marks a lifetime commitment to the Institute and generations of students. We will continue to build on our long-term academic strength by moving away from the hiring of temporary faculty, including clinical and adjunct faculty hired on a term basis, and focusing on building the strength of the tenured and tenure-track faculty. This means that we will be increasingly relying on the scholarship and expertise of tenured and tenure-track faculty to assume greater responsibility for the academic offerings at Rensselaer.
Q: What changes will be made regarding non-tenured faculty?
A: In keeping with the goals of the faculty governance review initiated in December 2006, we will be focused on building the strength of the tenured and tenure-track faculty. These strategic changes mean that we will not renew the contracts for approximately 13 temporary faculty positions after this academic year. Temporary faculty includes both clinical and adjunct faculty whose contracts are renewed on a regular basis as funds are available. These changes will not affect our students’ major courses of study or change the time required to complete their degrees.
Q: Will any academic programs be impacted by these changes?
A: The majority of teaching responsibility will be transitioned to tenured and tenure-track faculty members. This will include the vast majority of courses and sections taught at Rensselaer. The primary impact will be felt in the language minor. Foreign language remains an important addition to the Rensselaer educational experience, and we will continue to make language opportunities available to our students. In the short term, we are working individually with the 12 students currently involved in the language minor to ensure proper completion of their degrees. We understand that additional students would like to pursue similar opportunities. We are working to create options for them through a new portfolio of language study opportunities, which may be offered through partnerships with other institutions that have expert language faculty. In the long-term, these changes will help strengthen our offerings as well as our partnerships with other institutions.
Q: Will any new faculty be hired?
A: Several key academic roles will be filled. We plan to recruit eight new Constellation faculty positions, as well as the academic Deans and Vice President for Research positions in fiscal year 2010. A Director of Research at EMPAC and Director of CCNI will also be recruited. This would be a total of 14 new tenured and tenure-track faculty, 10 of which will be actively teaching in the classroom.
Q: Will members of the staff receive raises this year?
A: Due to fiscal constraints, we will be limiting the number of employees receiving pay raises this fiscal year. Employees earning less than $50,000 will receive raises consistent with their individual performance. The salary of all other employees will remain frozen though the end of the fiscal year 2010 (July 1, 2009 – June 30, 2010). This decision was not made lightly and will ensure that member of the staff with the strongest need are provided with a small cushion during this difficult economic time.
Q: Will the President and the Cabinet receive raises this year?
A: The President and the Cabinet will take 5 percent and 2.5 percent reductions, respectively, or make equivalent givebacks to a scholarship program for students.
Student Questions
Q: Will there be a tuition increase for the 2009-2010 school year?
A: There will be a tuition increase of 3.1 percent to $38,100 for full-time undergraduate and full-time graduate students. Due to recent proactive steps to reduce spending, this is the smallest tuition increase since 1996.
Q: Will there be an increase in room and board rates?
A: Room and board rates for Rensselaer students will increase an average of 3.9 percent. The vast majority of students will see this small increase. A 15 percent increase will be applied only to certain double rooms and suites, which represent approximately 10 percent of the total housing stock. Students will have the option of selecting these rooms via the housing lottery. More information on student housing is available on the Web site of the Office of Residence Life.
Q: What is Rensselaer doing to help families and students afford Rensselaer?
A: We are committed to making Rensselaer affordable for our students and more than 90 percent of our students receive scholarship aid. In addition to the more than $83 million the university currently spends in scholarship aid, an additional $2 million has been added to meet any increased need experienced by our students. These funds will be available for families who may experience increased financial hardship, today or in the future. Visit the Admissions Web site for more information on how to apply for financial aid. In addition, the work study wage rate was raised to $8.50 per hour and a $10.00 per hour scale for researchers was added.
Q: What do I do if my family can no longer afford to pay my tuition and fees?
A: Additional funds have been put in place specifically to help students whose families are impacted during this global economic crisis. In fact, approximately 400 of our current students have already received additional aid this year to get their families through this difficult time. If you need additional aid, please call the Office of Financial Aid at (518) 276-6813 or e-mail financial_aid@rpi.edu with any questions. In addition to their regular office hours, the Rensselaer Office of Financial Aid will be offering extended call-in hours until 8 p.m. for newly admitted students and their families. The dates of these sessions are: March 19, 23, 26, 31 and April 8, 16, 22, 27.
Q: How does the administration receive student input into its decisions?
A: The administration has consistently reached out to student leaders, the student newspaper, and other student groups to discuss issues affecting academics and student life. In the fall, students had the opportunity to weigh in on the yearly performance planning process in the Division of Student Life, and the professional staff in the Student Life area works with students throughout the year. The administration considers the input from all of these discussions in the decision-making process, and places great emphasis on the potential impacts on student life and academic programs. In addition to these recent forums, President Jackson meets with students on a regular basis. Each year she has social events with student leaders; she and members of her cabinet meet with the Student Senate in the fall and spring of each year; and she holds monthly discussions with the Grand Marshal, the President of the Union, and the Editor of The Polytechnic, the student newspaper.
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