Minutes of October 2, 1995 Meeting

     The meeting convened at 2:05 p.m. in room 817 Cathedral of Learning.

     UPBC members present were: Thomas Anderson, Toni Carbo Bearman, Jacob
Birnberg, John Brice, James Cassing, Thomas Detre, Ronald Gardner, Brian Hart,
Peter Koehler, James Maher, Franklin McCarthy, Glenn Nelson, Michael Stuckart,
Bruce Williams, Philip Wion, and Judith Zimmerman.  Also present were: Michael
Gaber, Jeffrey Liebmann, William Madden, Robert Pack, Arthur Ramicone, Joan
Slezak, and Lawrence Weber.
     UPBC members not present were: H.K. Chang, Richard Colwell, Randy Juhl,
Keith McDuffie, Jeffrey Romoff, Ben Tuchi, and Julius Youngner.

Approval of Minutes

     The minutes of the August 31 meeting were approved.

Report of the Task Force on Duplicated Services

     Pack reminded members that the purpose of the recommendations in the
report of the Task Force was to provide structure to the various ongoing
reengineering efforts and to emphasize a customer focus in the service culture
of the University.  He added that the recommendations should eliminate the
ability of any one office acting unilaterally in ways that impact a wide array
of units.  Bearman stated that she had distributed copies of the Task Force
report to the Library and Information Science faculty and received a positive
response.  Wion moved that the UPBC accept the report.  Nelson seconded.  The
motion was approved unanimously.

FY 1997 Commonwealth Operating Budget Request

     Koehler discussed the parameters driving the FY 1997 Operating Budget
Request as discussed by the FY 1997 Parameters Subcommittee, including:

-- a 6.0% increase in the E&G Commonwealth appropriation;
-- stable University-wide enrollment;
-- tuition increases not to exceed 3.5%; and
-- an increase in the combined salary and fringe benefit pool of 2.5% for the
School of Medicine, WPIC, and Services for Teens at Risk, and 5.0% for the
remainder of the University.

Koehler stated that the submission to the Commonwealth results in a balanced
budget proposal.  Wion added that it is hard to know at this time whether a
6.0% increase in the Commonwealth appropriation is possible.  Koehler
indicated that the submission was an effort to present a more realistic budget
than in the past and that the FY 1997 Parameters Subcommittee will continue
refining the parameters as more information becomes available.

Report of the Capital Priorities Committee

     Maher stated that this report includes the first readily available
inventory of University space and its use and represented a serious review of
program priorities for the future.  The result is a plausible future scenario,
which has the benefit of emphasizing renovation over new construction and may
help the University reactivate a necessary capital campaign effort.  He
expressed the hope that the University community would support necessary
changes in space assignments and use.

     Pack discussed the principles that guided the Committee's considerations
of the University's capital needs, including:

1.  Academic priorities, as expressed in Toward the 21st Century and the
planning principles and objectives contained in the Master Space Plan, must
guide all capital development.
2.  Existing space must be utilized as effectively as possible before
additional space is added to the University's inventory.
3.  Prudent investment in space preservation must not be sacrificed for new
construction.
4.  Critical academic support activities, such as admissions and libraries,
must be assigned a high priority.
5.  Continuing improvement of instructional facilities is critical to the
success of the academic mission.
6.  A more rational placement of academic and administrative activities should
be effected.
7.  As the University's signature building, the Cathedral of Learning should
house more academic activities, relocating certain administrative functions to
more appropriate locations in less expensive and central facilities.
8.  Providing additional recreational facilities, student life and student
activities space, and student housing must become a higher priority to ensure
competitiveness in attracting and retaining students.
9.  Rental properties should, to the extent possible, be utilized only to
house externally funded projects for limited periods of time.

Pack indicated that the University currently controls 3.1 million assignable
square feet of space in 56 buildings on the Pittsburgh Campus (excluding
residence halls and other auxiliary space) and that the annual cost to the E&G
budget to operate and maintain this space is approximately $29 million.  The
E&G budget is also responsible for the payment of approximately $8.3 million
in debt service annually on its facilities making space, next to personnel,
the most significant component of the University's budget.
     Pack explained that the recommendations of the Committee include: (1)
reducing the extent of proposed new construction; (2) considering reassigning
programs to recommended major projects; (3) implementing an extensive
renovation and preservation program for existing facilities; (4) continuing an
aggressive program to improve classrooms and instructional laboratories; (5)
eliminating from the inventory facilities identified as not being cost
effective investments to renovate or maintain; and (6) reassigning certain
administrative operations currently in rental properties to University
facilities where possible.

     The meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.