ALBANY — Several times during the hour-plus community forum, Albany State University President Everette Freeman reminded the crowd that the university's proposed $3.6 million additional cuts were simply an "informational exercise."

Freeman, Vice President in the Office of Fiscal Affairs Larry Wakefield and Vice President of Academic Affairs Abiodun Ojemakinde addressed the audience of more than 750 students, faculty and community members about the proposed reductions to ASU for Fiscal Year 2011 Wednesday afternoon at the HPER Gymnasium.

The ASU cuts are part of the University System of Georgia's proposed additional $300 million budget reductions for FY 2011 over the already $265 million in cuts the system had previously made. The proposed cuts would eliminate 46 full-time employees at ASU, as well as three graduate and undergraduate programs.

"The Chancellor (Erroll B. Davis Jr.) said to cut any deeper in the 35 University Systems of Georgia (schools) would be impossible for him and difficult for each college," Freeman told the crowd. "These are just proposals for the community to look at. This exercise is a serious one, but none of the presidents (at these schools) know the outcome of these (exercises).

"I repeat, it is an informational exercise and there has not been any decisions made on this," Freeman added. "This was made while (the state legislators) were on recess. ... Nothing has been set in stone."
Wakefield told that crowd that the possible extensive cuts are a result of the state having a $1 billion budget shortfall.

"All the cuts are ugly and none of them are easy," he said. "We went through and showed the ugly cuts to show the community that none of them will be good. ... We made cuts to draw attention. The easy things we've done the last two years. Those were the low hanging vines. These are the tough cuts."

Wakefield reminded the audience that Georgia legislators are not the ones that will decide the budgets for the University System of Georgia.
"The Board of Regents makes the decision," he said. "We have until July 1 to make the real budget. ... We're all growing across the system. We grew 7 percent in the fall. Here they say we need to cut and we've added 500 more students."

Freeman told the crowd that Albany State's original proposal of salary reductions and additional furloughs was rejected over the weekend. Top ASU officials then met at 7 a.m. Monday to come up with another plan.

"The collective thought was that we have no choice and so we were given only an hour to provide information," Freeman said. "We submitted the information literally in time for (Davis') 9 a.m. meeting with the appropriations committee. These cuts would affect every student, faculty member and (others) in the University System of Georgia."

Ojemakinde helped to provide clarity on concerns students had that are currently enrolled in one of the undergraduate or graduate programs that were proposed to be eliminated. These cuts are in the master's of public administration, master's of business administration, Spanish language and literature, social science teacher education, science education and education leadership programs, as well as foreign languages. The proposal would also eliminate the graduate school dean and its staff.

"No decision has been made to eliminate any academic program now," Ojemakinde said. "You can relax now. If you're in the program now, you're fine. It just means we're not accepting more admissions in those programs.

"We guarantee that the student currently in the program (will) be given sufficient time to graduate," he added later in a response to a question from the crowd.

Ojemakinde believes some of the cuts could possibly be handled through student tuition increases. However, Freeman later even questioned that idea when an audience member asked how much student fees would increase.

"Frankly, I don't know," Freeman said. "Tuition fees are made by the Board of Regents, not by the president. ... The chancellor said a $1,000 student emergency fee would have a tremendous impact on students already relying on financial aid and working now to make ends meet."
Students, faculty members and others — who continued to arrive at the forum during its first 40 minutes — were able to put questions on notepads for Freeman, Wakefield or Ojemakinde to answer during the last part of the event. The question of Albany State losing its university status came up a couple of times.

"No one has made that suggestion," Freeman said.

Ojemakinde said, "According to SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), there is no number of graduate programs to keep accreditation. As a result, there is no worry about losing our university standing. By eliminating those three (graduate programs) it will not change our status."

Another question referenced the fairness of the cuts. They compared Albany State University making $3,657,949 in cuts and eliminating 46 positions and Darton College losing only four jobs and $2,646,848.
"The cuts are (based) on a portion of operating costs and Darton has a lower cut," Freeman said. "Remember, we are a comprehensive university and they are an access college."

Freeman also answered a question about the possibility of increasing class sizes and faculty teaching assignments.

"This might impact someone on choosing Albany State as the teacher ratio goes maybe from 17-to-1 to 25-to-1," he said. "There are real and impactful consequences to us all if we are to make these changes."
Ojemakinde said anyone upset about the proposed reductions should contact state officials to "make sure that Albany State's interests are protected."

Freeman reminded students, however, to not use their university system e-mail accounts to contact the elected officials since "that would be considered lobbying."

ASU freshman nursing major Charles Taylor of Waycross said he found the forum helpful.

"I found it pretty informational," Taylor said. "It basically answered all my questions without me asking them."

Mass communications major Darla L. Gibbons of Athens said the event gave her new insight, but didn't completely calm her nerves.

"It calmed me down because we thought there were definite decisions made and now we realize they know the same thing we know, which is nothing," the junior said. "Our panic has slowed down a little bit."