Questions About Raises, Shuttle Fees Top Administrators Forum
MAY 9, 2003 | Salaries and parking fees dominated the "Meet Your Administrators" forum April 29.
The UAMS House of Delegates sponsored the forum. Employees wanted to know about a wide range of issues, but topping the list was whether or not staff and faculty members can expect raises this year, and whether those who ride the shuttle bus to and from the parking lot at War Memorial Stadium will be have to pay a fee.
Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson, M.D., explained the convergence of a number of financial forces that might prevent raises in the upcoming fiscal year. He said the state legislature has allocated about $75 ½ million from the state rather than the expected $82 million. The state allocation accounts for about 13 percent of the institution's overall budget. "Whether we get 75 million or we get 82 million, we're still conducting the same mission," he said.
Chancellor Wilson said about 70 percent of UAMS revenue comes from clinical income, with a large portion of that coming in the form of Medicare and Medicaid payments. With a downturn in the overall economy, the federal government's subsidies to those programs will likely also be cut. He cited an increased number of patients who can't pay for care and insurance companies that don't want to pay bills as other factors on the issue of raises.
"I want to give raises to everyone who deserves it, but some positions, such as nurses, command a raise because they otherwise can easily go somewhere else for a better salary - which would harm our ability to keep essential clinical programs functioning," the chancellor commented later.
He expressed hope that the legislature will amend the budget line item for UAMS in a special session that started today this week, and said if that happens, small across-the-board raises could still be in store.
A possible increase in parking fees is tied to the issue of raises. Leo Gehring, vice chancellor for campus operations, told employees an increase won't happen if raises aren't granted. But one possibility for raising parking revenue is still on the table - instituting a charge for shuttle riders. By state law the parking budget must be self-supporting, but the free rides from War Memorial Stadium break with that concept, because the $150,000 contract with the bus company to provide the service comes out the parking fees paid by those parking on campus.
Gehring said UAMS might levy a new fee of $10-15 per month, per rider. "I think it's going to be fair, and it may not happen at all," Mr. Gehring said of the possible fees.
In response to a question about the clusters of smokers that congregate outside buildings, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research Administration Larry Milne, Ph.D., said plans are in the works to post clearer signs about where smoking is allowed. Chancellor Wilson said more smoking shelters are needed, but the budget includes no money to build them.
A new faculty member in the College of Public Health, Katharine Stewart, Ph.D., M.P.H., asked each panelist to list the biggest challenges UAMS faces from his or her perspective. Dr. Wilson responded, "We've got all sorts of terrific things happening. The fact that we have world-class programs ... Each of the colleges is doing well. Some of our doctors are world-renowned, and many of those that aren't, could be - they're very good. The College of Public Health is going to be a home run. You can just go down the list... So, I think it's really trying to go from very good to even better."
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