Doing Less with Less? Not Hardly.

As the new year begins, we mark the midpoint in the University’s fiscal year. This is the fourth consecutive year of substantial budget cuts, based on reduced funding from the state. This year, UNC Charlotte is working through a $34 million dollar allocation cut, in addition to other reductions.

In stories that have been developed for this blog, the University magazine, and other channels — which represent the teaching, learning, research, engagement and accomplishments of our UNC Charlotte community — I recall something that was said last year about how we would deal with the shrinking budget. Someone very smart observed that we had been doing more with less funding during the preceding years of cuts, but that we had reached the point where the University was compelled to do exercise even greater focus and efficiency. We would be having more impact because efforts are more relevant, focused, and better executed.

How many times in the roller coaster lives of organizations are the people of those organizations actually allowed or compelled to do “less.” In my experience, never. Somehow we become more productive, more selective and oftentimes more efficient -- yet still effective based on our organization's mission.That is because good people — skilled, motivated, creative, determined people — never stop pushing, thinking, innovating and rebounding.

Check out the link to the latest edition of the UNC Charlotte magazine: http://bit.ly/wqPoyT. Look through these pages. Read the articles. Look at the faces of the people in the photos. These are people pushing onward, doing more and better things for UNC Charlotte and the entire community it serves. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, volunteer advisory board members, and other friends of the University are ensuring that we deliver a net gain to the community. Tough times? For Sure. Delivering less to the community? Not hardly.