Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak told faculty and staff who attended the last campus forum of the spring semester Wednesday afternoon that she was both excited and nervous about the possibility of a branch campus of the CU School of Medicine at UCCS.
“Having a branch campus of the School of Medicine in Colorado Springs has the potential to be transformational for both UCCS and Colorado Springs,” Shockley-Zalabak said. “The potential benefits are enormous and outweigh the anxiety I might personally feel about such a huge undertaking.”
Shockley-Zalabak’s comments came in response to a faculty member’s question about the status of the lease agreement between Memorial Hospital and the University of Colorado Hospital. In January, the Colorado Springs City Council voted unanimously to begin negotiations to lease Memorial to UCH. It is anticipated Colorado Springs voters will be asked to approve a final agreement.
As part of the discussions, UCH would provide $3 million annually to help fund a branch campus of the School of Medicine at UCCS. Early discussions indicate that as many as 40 medical students would complete their education in Colorado Springs, work closely with local physicians and hospitals, and attend classes in the Lane Academic Health Sciences Center on North Nevada. Shockley-Zalabak believes the partnership will also benefit current UCCS faculty members interested in submitting research grant proposals associated with healthcare.
“Having a branch medical campus will open many doors that have previously been closed to faculty here,” she said.
Shockley-Zalabak’s look forward came after she reviewed the actions by the Colorado General Assembly and the CU Board of Regents that affect the university’s budget outlook as well as a month-by-month highlights of the academic year. Highlights included record enrollment, an anonymous gift to fund the restoration of the Heller Center guest house, online classes and a partnership with Lamar Community College’s nursing program.
“I’m grateful for all of the hard work of the people in this room and those who are not here because they are working,” Shockley-Zalabak said. “Because of you, we’ve made it off the cliff.”
The cliff reference was one that UCCS leaders have used the past three years to illustrate anticipated reductions in state funding. UCCS has become less reliant on state funds, growing its enrollment, increasing fund raising and grant awards, and expanding its auxiliary enterprises. For 2012-2013, Shockley-Zalabak estimated the all-funds UCCS budget will be almost $171 million with less than 10 percent coming from the State of Colorado.
“I predict that by next year that only 8 cents of every dollar on this campus will come from the State of Colorado,” Shockley-Zalabak said. “Or, put another way, what we do on this campus will be responsible for 92 cents of every dollar we have.”
Shockley-Zalabak reviewed salary pools for faculty, professional exempt staff and classified staff. Under the salary plan, exempt professionals earning less than $100,000 are eligible for merit raises from a 2 percent salary pool. Exempt professionals earning between $100,000 and $175,000 are eligible for merit increases of no more than $2,000. Exempt professionals earning more than $175,000 are not eligible for an increase. The faculty pool is 2 percent, regardless of salary level.
Shockley-Zalabak expressed frustration that salary increases for classified staff members were not approved by the General Assembly.
“Classified staff are as important to the success of the campus as everyone else. They deserve to be compensated,” she said.
A bright spot for classified staff who are members of the Colorado Public Retirement Association is the return of a 2.5 percent employer contribution to retirement accounts. For two years, PERA members were required to contribute more to PERA, effectively reducing their take home pay.
Shockley-Zalabak encouraged faculty and staff to attend commencement ceremonies on May 18 and also to complete open enrollment for benefits. Those who participate in university benefit plans will likely see decreases in the employee’s share of costs associated with health, dental and other forms of insurance.
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