University establishes new committee to address long-range financial changes
An email was sent out Friday afternoon to faculty, staff and students announcing the new committee. Photo courtesy of Maddy Bartsche.
Lauren Durham | Print Editor-in-Chief
On Friday afternoon, the University of Dayton announced to faculty, staff and students that a long-range financial planning process will resume. The initial planning effort began in 2019 but was delayed due to the pandemic.
“The University is clear-eyed about the challenges we face. We will follow the lead of our Marianist founders and take bold, decisive action to maintain a high-quality University of Dayton education for current and future students and continue to live our mission in service to others, while remaining financially strong,” President Eric Spina said in an email to faculty and staff. “The path we chart will enable the University to control its own destiny in a rapidly changing world.”
A newly formed committee, the Committee for Sustainable Institutional Transformation (CSIT), will begin a planning process to address financial trends affected by broader shifts in higher education and ongoing impacts from the pandemic-related expenses
The email to faculty and staff states, “CSIT will begin work immediately, charged with developing recommendations that will enable long-term financial sustainability, enhance academic quality, and ensure the preservation of the University’s core mission and identity.”
CSIT consists of the following University administration, trustees, and faculty and staff administrators:
Eric Spina, President (Chair)
Paul Benson, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs
Andy Horner, Executive Vice President for Business and Administrative Services
Faculty and Staff Administrators
Jason Reinoehl, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management
Troy Washington, Vice President for Human Resources
Kathy Webb, Dean of the Libraries (Dean’s representative to ECAS)
Angie Petrovic, Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator, Athletics
Trustees
Rick Omlor, Second Vice Chair and Chair-elect
Nancee Berger, Chair of the Finance and Facilities Committee
Bro. Timothy Driscoll, Trustee
Debra Plousha-Moore, Trustee
“CSIT membership reflects a broad range of expertise across the university,” Andy Horner said.
The committee will be looking at a variety of options to help the financial well being of the institution, including:
- Reducing the number of academic programs
- The optimal size of the student body and housing requirements
- Instructional standards including section sizes and class enrollments
- Operational efficiencies such as shared administrative support and financial management
- Continued effective stewardship of funds
The email states that some recommendations could be implemented by fiscal year 2023, but other plans will take longer to come to fruition.
According to Horner, “recommendations and decisions will be communicated through a variety of mechanisms, including at regular meetings with faculty, staff and students beginning in the spring semester.”
Horner stated that the direct impact on University jobs is uncertain, but the realignment of positions is likely.
“One of the principles that CSIT will endeavor to follow would be for any changes in employment levels to be accomplished primarily through natural attrition, retirements and employee turnover,” Horner said. “Our overarching goal is to ensure a high-quality University of Dayton education for current and future students and continue to live our mission in service to others, while remaining financially strong.”
In the email to students, President Spina said that current students will see very little-to-no impact from the planning process.
“Let me assure you that the University is strong financially, and we are undertaking this process to protect the financial health and quality of a UD education for you and future Flyers,” Spina said.
“As a well-managed organization, this proactive approach will allow us to manage change and control our own destiny while ensuring we preserve our high-quality, Marianist education mission.”
For more information, visit the President’s page on Porches and send questions and comments to the committee at csit@udayton.edu.
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