A FINANCIAL GOAL

Facing at least a $35 million deficit, the FAS budget office communicated the new budgeting approach to the community in the month leading to the March Faculty meeting. The policy required affiliated FAS units—including centers—to fall into line and justify that all their expenditures serve core FAS priorities.

In the past, certain centers had exercised a great deal of autonomy in spending funds allocated by donors towards their fields. But with his fresh emphasis on the “core priorities” of FAS, Smith was now essentially prescribing the areas in which units ought to spend.

While Smith has made it clear that a donor’s intent will be honored, the policy allows FAS central administration the opportunity to target funds efficiently so that some can be redirected from within the confines of a particular center to broader University priorities.

For example, the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute began funding Ukrainian language instruction this academic year—a hefty financial responsibility that had traditionally been upheld by the Slavic Languages Department, says Executive Director Tymish J. Holowinsky.

“We all pitched in together on this because we recognized it was an extraordinary time,” says Kleinman, who noted that his Asia Center had redirected funds away from the faculty research support that the center has previously offered.

Kleinman took part in a series of meetings with the dean and finance officers from FAS as they sought to arrive at a common ground on what contributions were expected of the centers.

“We did come together,” Kleinman says. “And I’m hoping that in the future we will be out of this extraordinary time and we will return to the situation we’ve had in the past, in which the centers had a great deal more leeway and independence.”

SERVING THE CORE MISSION

Centers had been asked to make sacrifices, as they are quick to point out. But they do not represent the only sectors of FAS where personal priorities have been pushed aside as the “core mission” takes priority.

Even department administrators, who are more dependent on unrestricted “subvention” funds from the dean, say that their own wishes do not necessarily align with those expressed by the FAS finance office.

One department administrator in the humanities explained that her own department has been asked to redirect funds for student travel grants to priorities that the FAS financial office has said are more aligned with FAS priorities.

Smith’s office has asked that the department contribute toward graduate student stipends and faculty salaries in the department—costs traditionally covered by unrestricted funds from FAS itself that have enabled the department to focus on more specific academic priorities, such as student travel.

“We really sort of spent the money that we have,” says the administrator, who asked to remain anonymous to preserve her relationship with the administration.

“But if they’re expecting us to sort of pay for more things, that might impact our day-to-day business,” she adds.

—Staff writer Noah S. Rayman can be reached at nrayman@fas.harvard.edu.