Email Article

Printable Page

Clark Atlanta Reels From Continuing Budget Cuts

By Nelann Taylor
Black College Wire

Photo credit: www.cau.edu President Walter Broadnax is urging "a positive attitude" so the school can be at "the right altitude."

One hundred and twelve administrative positions have been eliminated at Clark Atlanta University, with another 75 to go.

According to university President Walter Broadnax, �critical actions� had to be taken to ensure the university's long-term survival. For this reason, budget, faculty and spending cuts, along with other strategies, have been implemented to bail the university out of a $7.5 million deficit and long-term $55 million debt.

�This university is going through a major repositioning and strengthening that we�re confident will make it a better university,� said Sheila Jack, director of communications and special assistant to the president.

Some faculty members will not be returning to their schools or departments come May.

One hundred fifty seven non-tenured faculty, instructors, lecturers and tenure track faculty received non-renewal letters informing them that their jobs might be lost at the end of the academic year. The notice did not shock many, but some said that if given ample time, they could have searched for other jobs during the summer.

�We�re in a sour economic position,� Jack said, adding that the entire economy is in a downturn.

In a State of the University memo distributed Aug. 15, Broadnax assured the CAU family that such drastic measures were necessary to address the university�s debt.

Thirty-nine early-retirement packages were offered to tenured faculty, but only 20 faculty members have accepted. One hundred and twelve administrative positions were eliminated in June. The historic Paschal�s Restaurant was closed in July; and enrollment services have been strengthened.

Those actions were recommendations from The Stillwater Group, a management consultant agency that conducted a 60-day assessment of the university�s academic and administrative operations last spring. The recommendations are intended to aid in lessening the university�s debt.

Broadnax said in his memo that the actions yielded a total savings of $4.5 million, although he said most of it would not be realized for two years.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the organization that pulled Morris Brown College�s accreditation last spring, is due to visit CAU in 2006 for reaffirmation of accreditation.

Photo credit: www.cau.edu President Broadnax with Clark Atlanta University students.

By this time, Broadnax expects to have conducted a university self-assessment ensuring that everything is in order and that certain requirements and criteria are met.

�While change is never easy, I believe as we exhibit a positive attitude in what can be achieved collectively, we will have determined the right altitude to position CAU on the right course as a model for other colleges and universities,� Broadnax�s memo said.

There has also been talk of closing the School of Social Work, but university officials say no definitive decisions have been made.

Nelann Taylor, a student at Clark Atlanta University, is editor-in-chief of The Panther.

Posted Dec. 1, 2003