UND Law Budget Reduction Recommendations

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

4-21-2016

Campus Unit

School of Law

Abstract

In response to the budget adjustments directed by President Schafer, the School of Law was asked to identify our key strategic priorities as well as possible areas of reduction. (Read more about UND’s budget planning and recommendations on the President’s web page https://und.edu/president/budget/index.cfm.) Below are summaries of the School of Law’s strategic priorities and expected budget reductions.

I. Strategic Priorities—Where Resources Are Focused at the School of Law

A. Enhance quality of academic program (J.D.)

  1. Implement faculty-designed progressive curriculum
  2. Meet new American Bar Association (ABA) accreditation requirement for mandatory 6 credits of experiential courses, including expanding field placements, skills courses, live-client courses
  3. Align the number and kind of upper-level courses offered to student demand and curricular goals, including producing practice-prepared graduates who have necessary knowledge, skills and values to successfully pass the bar examination and enter practice in multiple professional settings
  4. Enhance Indian Law concentration through course offerings and partnerships

B. Sustain growing national reputation

  1. Ensure continuing status as ABA accredited law school
  2. Continue to sustain status as nationally ranked law school
  3. Continue to support faculty scholarly productivity

C. Promote student success

  1. Sustain or enhance student services in Student Life, Career Development, Bar Passage & Academic Success, Field Placements (Externships)
  2. Sustain highly affordable legal education through low tuition, student scholarships, Cultural Diversity Tuition Waivers (CDTW), and other initiatives to reduce student debt
  3. Sustain student extra- and co-curricular opportunities, including student organizations, networking opportunities, Rural Practice initiatives, speakers, etc.

II. Expected Budget Reductions at the School of Law

A. Cut event costs by 15%, faculty and staff non-required travel by 10%, and publication costs for ongoing annual operating savings of $21,500

B. Reduce annual adjunct and part-time faculty costs by eliminating or reassigning courses consistent with School of Law’s new progressive curriculum design as well as ABA standards for ongoing annual salary and fringe benefits savings of $52,747

C. Will not fill two existing or anticipated staff vacancies, one in faculty administrative support and the other in law library technical services, for ongoing annual salary and fringe benefit savings of $124,000

D. Replace retiring faculty member with 2 entry-level faculty hires in FY19, for ongoing annual salary and fringe benefit savings of $66,625 and “one-time” savings in FY17 and FY18 of $228,800

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