From the President, CC News April 2004 (continued...)
 

Marie E. Rosenwasser, Ph.D.
Cuesta College Superintendent/President		 Budget Development. Please read the e-mail messages from Ed Maduli on behalf of the Planning and Budget Committee about this yearís Budget Development Plan for 2004-2005 and last yearís Tentative Budget with Reductions and Rationale which details all the permanent cuts we made last year to achieve the required $3 million cut for 2003-2004. While the Governorís May Revise Budget wonít be released until May 14, we have a bit of good news concerning COLA for 2004-2005. The Department of Finance has published a letter to the legislative budget committees that includes 1.84% COLA for community colleges and reduces the total in equalization for community colleges. You will recall that the Governorís January Budget did not have COLA for community colleges even though all other parts of the education systemsí budget included COLA. The Board of Trustees Budget Workshop will be held on May 19 and at that time an updated version of the 2004-2005 Budget Development/Reduction Plan will be available.

Businesses Also Experience Budget Uncertainty. Sometimes we think that Cuesta is the only institution experiencing instability and decline in the budget. Recently the Foundation sponsored a meeting of Cuesta College Business Partners. Of the 51 local business partners, approximately 23 partners attended. The theme of the March 30 Business Partners Roundtable was "Building Opportunity: Strengthening Your Business in Times of Uncertainty." The three panelists were Paso Robles Mayor Frank Mecham, PG&E Director of Governmental Relations and Public Affairs Missie Hobson, and myself. Mecham addressed opportunities that emerged from the earthquake disaster, Hobson addressed coming back from the brink of bankruptcy, and I addressed preserving quality in times of adversity. The panelists and business partners summarized what they have learned about leading your business/city/college through significant and severe financial or natural difficulties.

Conclusions reached:

  • Organizations get more efficient in tough times.
  • Communicate the difficulty, be truthful about the disaster/crisis.
  • Develop a plan and implement the plan.
  • Stay focused on top priorities.
  • Stay positive, look for opportunities to meet new challenges, then do some new things or use creativity to change old assumptions and methods.
  • Send a consistent and positive message to the public and use the community for new partnerships, draw on long-standing partnerships.
  • Hunker down together.
  • Plan for the future, for better times even in the tough times.
  • Examine core tenets/values/goals and stay the course.
  • Everybody needs to work harder together.
  • Freeze costs, turn to reserves if necessary but have a plan to restore the reserves because there can be a new disaster or crisis shortly after the first one.
  • Make the "team" work and empower everyone on the "team."
  • Focus on whatís the most important.
  • Do something new.
  • Appreciate, recognize and celebrate coming through a disaster or crisis together.

Our Business Partners support us; they care about us and they teach us. We are doing good work together and have had a productive year, despite tough times. Thank-you.