California State Universities face significant challenges in anticipation of decreased revenues from the state. Our campus faces a base reduction of $33 million, of which the Academic Affairs Division (AAD) share is $24.7 million (or about $18 million without benefits) over two years. In spite of these challenges, the university is dedicated to safeguarding the quality of our students’ academic experience.

This past year, under the leadership of President Qayoumi, the campus adopted Core Principles for Budget Planning and the SJSU Strategic Plan: Vision 2017 (PDF), which includes five strategic priorities: Unbounded Learning, Agility through Technology, 21^st Century Spaces, Spartan Pride, and Helping and Caring. To ensure the advancement of these priorities, as Provost, I have established the Academic Affairs Budget Advisory Task Force which will provide consultation and feedback about the allocation of our Academic Affairs resources and budgets.

At the division level, the Academic Plan 2017 (PDF) was drafted in Spring 2012 with input from faculty, staff, students, and administrators to establish specific activities for each strategic goal. This plan was made available on this website for feedback, and I convened seven town hall meetings during the Spring 2012 term to present the plan and discuss details with the AAD community. The Academic Plan was revised based on on-line comments and feedback from the open fora. The Academic Plan 2017 will serve as a guide for the division as we allocate our resources to meet Academic Affairs’ strategic goals. Thus far, a number of budget reduction strategies are identified in the Academic Affairs Budget Actions for 2012-13 (PDF).

As the university continues to plan for reduced budgets, I encourage you to submit your suggestions and feedback on the President’s Budget Central Website. Thank you for your hard work, perseverance, optimism, and goodwill.

I look forward to a challenging and invigorating academic year!

Sincerely,

Ellen Junn, Provost

San Jose State University