“Americans’ consumption of political news has expanded over the past decade,” Gallup reported. “The trend may reflect a greater politicization of the American public, regardless of political ideology, as attention is up among all three party groups [Democrats, Republicans and independents]. However, the increase since 2007 (from 30 percent to 36 percent) in the percentage following political news very closely may also stem from Barack Obama’s busy legislative agenda in his first year as president.”

Here’s the fun stuff.

Gallup also reported finding substantial differences according to gender, age, education and household income for those following the news very closely: Men were more news-conscious than women, and older Americans were more news-conscious than younger adults. Men age 50 and older were particularly interested in political news, and younger women were among the least interested, it reported.

And Condi is a decaf gal, according to this Fox News segment that aired in late November. The segment, YouTube-viewable below the fold, profiles the job of the current Air Force One pilot.

While I hate to give Fox News props for anything, the segment is an insightful look at (and into) the aircraft. The pilot gives an enlightening account into circumstances on and around the plane on 9/11, including his desire to have Air Force One’s own cockpit guarded for a period of time.

No more new hires! Gora writes:

In the short term, we are announcing a hiring freeze for vacant and new positions. Exceptions to this policy will be limited and require my approval in consultation with the cabinet.

Well shit. What about that football coach you just lost to the sunny Cali skies?

Some reports indicate a new coach from within is already confirmed. A Muncie Star Press article today, however, further clusters the clusterfuck:

But Collins, who also specifically denied the report that BSU has already offered the job to Parrish, said there is still a process the school must go through to hire a new coach.

“We haven’t even started yet,” Collins said. “I’ve got paperwork I’ve got to do here on campus to get the job posted.”

The AD said he would meet with school human resource officials later today to discuss the administration’s next course of action.

Better drop by the Prez’s office first, TC!

It’s a safe bet that this freeze will not directly affect the coaching position, although certainly money is an issue. It seems logical this announcement would be made the day after Hoke said his farewell in lieu of the Pacific Ocean and a handsome salary increase. With such a cost-cutting measure on the horizon, BSU had no choice but to let Hoke run away for his Benjamins. SDSU is giving Hoke $3.5 million over five years, and that’s a tough pill for Indiana’s third-ranked state school to swallow … especially when it’s now unable to hire any other staff. Imagine the internal doom if Hoke had taken a remotely similar amount from BSU. Try explaining that to overworked secretaries.

Budgets aside, perception is everything. Hardcore sports fans clash with financial officers here. In the end, Hoke is now the poster child for BSU’s financial climate.

Gora’s full letter, below the fold.

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Last week — moments after I provided a fairly positive financial outlook to the University Senate — I received a call from Governor Daniels’ office about the economic shortfall facing the state. The next day, many of you may have seen the headlines where Governor Daniels discussed the state’s financial situation. The governor ordered state agencies to immediately cut an additional 3 percent of their spending (on top of 7 percent cuts already in place) and announced that state employees would receive no pay increases next year.  Governor Daniels also plans “some marginal reductions” in higher education spending during this fiscal year but has not yet announced specifics. It is highly likely that budget cuts will continue, and may be increased, in the coming year.

As we look at reductions in every sector of the economy, we cannot expect higher education to be spared sacrifice. However, the university has already been working to reduce expenses for some time now, in ways large and small. The cost per-square-foot for building maintenance, custodial services, utilities, landscaping, and administration has been reduced for each of the past seven years. Moving to electronic documentation for capital projects has saved literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our recent move to a single-source provider for office supplies has increased productivity and lowered costs. And something as seemingly trivial as switching to foam hand soap has saved $17,000 a year.

While this forethought has mitigated the impact of this latest development, we need to do more. We should anticipate that revenue projections for the state will continue to lag. We need to position the university for several more months of challenging finances. Ball State must emerge from the economic downturn at least as strong, if not stronger, than we were going into it.

In the short term, we are announcing a hiring freeze for vacant and new positions. Exceptions to this policy will be limited and require my approval in consultation with the cabinet. In addition, I have asked cabinet members to identify tangible cuts to their immediate operating budgets for the remaining six months of this fiscal year.  These cuts will likely include further reductions or freezes in travel and the purchasing of goods and services.

To prepare for the long term, I have asked each cabinet member to look across their areas for additional ways to reduce expenses and increase external funding. Now is the time to get creative and look at areas where efficiencies can be gained and real-dollar expenses can be reduced.  In addition to those initiatives, we anticipate very limited — or even no — salary increases for the coming fiscal year.

Throughout this challenging period, we will remain focused on student success. Our first priority at Ball State is delivering the distinctive educational experience and services our students expect. We will ensure that we do not create obstacles for students in the completion of their degrees. Our students and their parents can be reassured that their educational experiences and degree completion will be unharmed.

While we would all prefer a different situation, in comparison to others, the state and the university are well positioned to weather this storm. Times of crisis provide opportunities for improvement. I am continually impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit, teamwork, and creativity on this campus. I know together we will serve the university well through this challenging time.

Sincerely,

Jo Ann M. Gora
President

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