James July-August 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 60
“My first year we had our budget
hearings with all 26 institutions, and
I was shocked that they were not
so much budget hearings as really
narratives about what they wanted to
do, where they were going and what
was happening.” Then he explained
what happened the next year— this
past year: “I made sure we had budget
hearings about where their money
was going. In academia many times
the presidents often delegate to their
chief financial officers, and they don’t
have their fingers on the pulse of
where the money is going. And that
really matters. That’s why we created
a budget template for the next year.”
As an example, the chancellor
asked the presidents to understand
what their fixed expenses are— those
things that are minimal that you must
have and what they cost. “We’re collecting this information and sharing
these with presidents,” he said, “so
they can see how their spending in
one category is happening and they
can call a president and ask what they
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are doing in this area. We are sharing
among all of us the budgets of every
campus. That’s where we’re driving
efficiency. We are learning from one
another by one president finding out
the things their colleagues are doing
on another campus that could help
them. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Thoughts on free speech & violence
Perhaps the big news in Georgia’s
education world so far this year is
when Gov. Brian Kemp vowed that
disruptive protests and violence on
Georgia’s campuses wouldn’t be tolerated. That’s why I asked the chancellor
what the consequences are when
students within the USG are arrested
for breaking campus rules or the law.
Are they automatically suspended?
Can they be ultimately expelled?
He began by saying that his leadership style is to hire the best people
and secure the best leadership on
USG campuses. At the same time, he
acknowledged that “being a president
is tough these days. There are so many
different constituents and many times
all those different sector constituents
bring the cultural division that we see
nationwide.” The presidents report
to the chancellor along with the the
Board of Regents, and Perdue stressed
that they’ve got to know he’s supportive of them. “When these things were
happening nationwide, I wanted the
presidents to know that I trust them to
take care of their campuses and keep
everyone safe.”
The USG and Regents have declared a firm commitment to protect
freedom of expression for all students,
faculty and staff. But Perdue warns
there is “a red line that cannot be
crossed.” He says, “If students violate
campus rules by preventing other
students from pursuing educational
opportunities by blocking a campus or
buildings or setting up encampments,
they would be subject to suspension.”
It is also his feeling “that students
being arrested nationally took that as
a badge of honor and would be bailed
out and lauded by their peers for their
