In an e-mail to the campus community Friday, Interim President Ray Kieft nixed the idea of increasing the faculty teaching load. "Listening to faculty feedback, I determined that not only was faculty support of this idea lacking, but many perceived this to be either a smokescreen for making a temporary adjustment a permanent one or a back-door way of alternating the current mission to that of a 'glorified community college.'"

"As I indicated in my remarks at convocation, if this idea didn't garner full faculty support, it would be removed from the table," Kieft said, adding that no revision of the mission is in the works and all temporary adjustments will be implemented on a short-term basis. "I would join any fight against an attempt of anything to the contrary," he said.

Going forward, Kieft is looking at other ideas to weather the "perfect financial storm," which he described as the financial situation facing Metro and higher education in Colorado. Over the last week, Kieft has received many ideas from faculty, staff and administrators, including mandatory furloughs and the merging of academic departments.

A few weeks ago, the Joint Budget Committee released communication that $450 million must be cut from the state general fund over the next three years at a level of $150 million each year. In the next month to six weeks, the JBC will offer preliminary budget figures for higher education. "This will give us a general idea of what we have to work with for next year's budget. However the $450 million deficit coupled with Senator Ron Teck's idea of asking voters whether they want lawmakers to stop funding public higher education means we should prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Kieft said.

Once the JBC figure is released, Kieft will ask the college community to recommend priorities related to the budget. All budget reduction possibilities will then be put on the table and the best solutions will be determined. "Seeking ways to free-up funds within our existing general fund must continue," Kieft added. Kieft will accept cost-saving ideas through mid-March via e-mail at rkieft@mscd.edu.