CTE's incremental budget submission (executive summary only)

Sounds exciting doesn't it. Be for I share, remember that Sunday night is roast beef and yorkshire pudding night at dormgrandpop's apartment - yes their will be a vegetarian dish too.

I finally knocked a first draft of the budget at 4:30 AM on Friday morning and provided a copy to my boss, who seems to have nearly inexhaustible reserves of patience. Last night it was off the whole foods to pick up a seven rib roast and other goodies. Then to the Giant where they were having sales on cookies (99 cents a box), fun sized butterfingers, nestlie crunch bars and baby ruths (two for $5) and Klondike bars for $1.99 a six pack. I should be stocked up for study break hours - and even into the next semester (especially if there are no fire alarm evacuations -- I am praying for that!)

A kind student helped me in with my bags and, incidentally, if you see dormgrandpop lugging grocery bags in, I always welcome offers of help --- which will be rewarded with Klondike bars.

Well, anyway, here is the CTE incremental budget executive summary, with just a very few redactions. If you read it I hope you will conclude, as I do that CTE is a pretty neat organization, genuinely concerned with supporting students and faculty. That must be why I work so hard to keep it allive, well and - hopefully - fully funded.

Its off to the country --- finally !!

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Center for Teaching Excellence embodies American University’s commitment to Point 7 of the Fifteen Points, that “Faculty teaching research and service will have added meaning and resources.” Positive references to CTE in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5 and 6 of the American University Self-Study reinforce this. Though viewed by many as an organization that serves faculty, CTE’s largest clientele by far is students. Its five laboratories provide workspace and consulting services to literally hundreds of students each semester. Its revitalized training program is valued resource for students seeking to enhance their information technology and multimedia proficiencies, outside of the classroom. Thus CTE is also a key contributor to Point 3: “The undergraduate experience will become the central focus of the community.”

CTE’s expansion of its services and growing reputation for high-quality service delivery exemplifies ‘increasing operational efficiency’ (Point 5). It assumed its present configuration, under new leadership, in July of fiscal year 2002-04 and its budget has remained ‘steady state. During the ensuing twenty-six month period, CTE consolidated its operations in Hurst Hall, and created a popular new facility, the Faculty Corner. It managed a highly successful transition of the Mathematics and Statistics Laboratory to CTE management, expanding services and improving quality. Now it is undertaking a much more complex task: revitalizing and modernizing AU’s audiovisual services. CTE has orchestrated a three-fold increase it its training workshops for faculty. It has increased the utilization of the Blackboard Course Info system from less than 25 per-cent to more than 80 per-cent of all courses taught. It has become a principal resource for Blackboard Inc. staff members as they attempt to develop a more realistic understanding of how University faculty actually use their technology in actual classes. It has been a key player in the reorganization of AU’s IT services and played key role in AU’s distance learning initiative, lead by ........ It is become an active player in AU’s ABTI university project, with lead responsibility for developing the new University’s web site.

Now CTE is approaching budgetary constraints that will limit its ability to further grow its programs, contribute to the Fifteen Points and respond to the recommendations of the Middle States Report most effectively. Accordingly, I am requesting an increase of $23,700 for fiscal year 2005-2006 and an increase of $36,730 for fiscal year 2006-07 in CTE’s general supplies and special projects account in order to sustain further growth. I am also requesting that long standing shortfalls in CTE’s contractual expenses account be rectified. If approved these requests would represent an increase in CTE’s present non personnel base of 25 per-cent in 2005-06 and 21 per-cent in 26-2007.

In personnel area, I am requesting that a new position be created to share the present responsibilities of the Assistant Director and give increased emphasis to development and outreach. The rationale for this request is the expansion of CTE services, overall, and especially the budgetary and staffing complexities introduced by the addition of audiovisual services to CTE’s responsibilities. In addition, I have raised the possibility that additional funding may be needed to meet obligations that are presently covered by ....... contract with EPA.