Budget Questions and Suggestions Received

How can the university continue to build and renovate buildings while experiencing such significant budget cuts?

Capital building and maintenance projects are funded through a separate process than the general state appropriation. After the governor and the Tennessee General Assembly approve the capital outlay and capital maintenance allocation, the State Building Commission then approves and supervises state projects in a comprehensive process that may take several years. Furthermore, capital outlay and maintenance dollars are one-time funds (nonrecurring), while the annual general state appropriation funds are recurring dollars.

Many of the active building projects on campus now received full or partial funds from the state several years ago. In addition to those funded by the state, many projects are funded through private donations or auxiliary fees, meaning the designated purpose for which they are built involves user fees (i.e. the new student health clinic).

No significant state funds for building and maintenance projects were appropriated to the campus last year, and this year’s economic forecast indicates the same for 2009–2010. We expect the effect of the economic challenges will become much more apparent on campus in the next two to three years.

How can the university be successful at raising private dollars, but still be faced with significant budget reductions and the negative consequences of those cuts?

The Campaign for Tennessee has generated a strong source of private funds for UT Knoxville from many committed alumni, friends and corporate partners. The statewide effort has raised more than 75 percent of its $1 billion goal, which staff and volunteers hope to achieve by 2011.

Ninety-five percent of all private funds are designated by the donor for specific programs and initiatives. Additionally, nearly 60 percent of the campaign funds are pledges that will be received over the next five years, and nearly 40 percent of the campaign funds are deferred, meaning through planned giving options. Therefore, private funds cannot be used to offset budget reductions or to help cover rising operational costs.

UT development staff members who work who closely with donors focus on matching university priorities with specific donors’ interests. The university’s main priorities relate to long-term goals and strategies that relate to specific programs, retention and recruitment of outstanding faculty, scholarships, facilities or related infrastructure.

Campus development staff members are most successful in connecting a donor's passion to an area of impact at UT. But in response to the challenging economic situation, the campus development staff has undertaken an effort to drive unrestricted dollars to the deans and the campus. Overall private support is vital to the success of the university, especially during these challenging economic times, because this support helps the university continue its progress with large-scale initiatives.

Can we reduce lighting in hallways and stairwells to reduce costs?

The level of lighting provided in halls and stairwells is governed by fire safety laws that require a minimum level of light at all times in areas that may be used as an escape route in a fire or other emergency. As a result, the lights in hallways and stairwells must be left on at any time a building could be occupied.

Facilities Services and Environmental Health and Safety personnel regularly check lighting levels in these areas to ensure that the university is meeting its obligations to keep faculty, staff and students safe in the most efficient manner possible. That means reducing lighting in areas that may have excessive amounts of light, as well as ensuring that light bulbs and fixtures used in these locations are the most energy-efficient lights available.

The new environmental policy has helped to address many efficiency concerns across campus.

The new campus energy conservation policy and the related temperature requirements have helped not only to conserve energy, but also to make corrections to heating and air systems that may not have been working properly in the past. While more work remains, Facilities Services has been successful in addressing uneven temperatures, as well as venting and leaks around doors and windows.

Departments around campus have requested energy audits and informational sessions about how to be more efficient, and employees are more engaged than ever in learning about sustainability and changes they can make personally and to their work environment to reduce energy consumption.

For a number of years, Facilities Services has replaced traditional incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient fluorescent models once the current bulbs have burned out.

While budget constraints prohibit the university from addressing all energy inefficiency problems, several large projects are under way (click here to library story), and thanks to the Student Environmental Facilities Fee, the campus is able to address these issues and realize a substantial cost savings.

Many faculty and staff members have made suggestions related to the need for more motion-sensitive lighting. While motion-sensitive lighting may not be ideal for all circumstances, departments can request the installation of this equipment, again thanks to funding from the Student Environmental Facilities fee through the Make Orange Green program.

Additional work is also under way in many other areas, including the use of hybrid and electric vehicles to reduce fuel costs and a continuation of UT Knoxville's award-winning recycling program, which reduces costs in waste disposal.