Report to the Baruch College Faculty
by
Robert M. Specter
Vice President for Administration and Finance
April 2005
Campus Facilities and Operations
Administrative Building Address Change
We expect that there will be a revision of the street address for 135 East 22 Street (home of the School of Public Affairs and administrative departments). The number address 135 East 22 Street likely will be changed to 133 East 22 Street during the Spring semester. The College
submitted a request to the Borough Presidents office through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to assign an address to the ADA entrance ramp and receiving/service entrance that currently serves 135 East 22 Street, 17 Lexington Avenue and 137 East 22 Street. Approval first must be granted by the Borough Presidents office in order
to comply with local ordinances.
Upgraded Telecommunications PBX Switch Acquisition of an upgraded telecommunications PBX switch for the South Campus is planned for Summer 2005. History
In 2001 a new telecommunications network package was acquired through the DASNY to service the newly-constructed Vertical Campus along with other buildings comprising the North Campus (137 East 25 Street and 151 East 25 Street). Subsequent to that
installation, capital project funding has been allocated for the acquisition of a second telecommunications PBX to serve the South Campus buildings (17 Lexington Avenue, 135 East 22 Street, and 137 East 22 Street).
Benefits
Installation of owned equipment will eliminate costly leased service currently provided by Verizon. Estimated cost avoidance will exceed $100,000 per year. A unified telecommunications system will provide intra-campus four-digit dialing, transfer of voice
mail messages between all campus sites and the ability to charge back telephone services to individual users and departments. New telephones will provide enhanced features such as an integrated College-wide telephone directory. Ownership of the system will result in College maintenance and quicker response time to problems.
Timeline Late March 2005 Updated cabling and equipment requirements determined through a final report submitted by telecommunications consultant currently engaged by the College. April 2005: Purchase order for proposed equipment submitted to the Universitys Department of Design, Construction and Management for final approval and encumbrance. The Mitel Network Solutions equipment to be VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 2 of 5 acquired is being offered under the terms of a current State of New York contract. Mid-April 2005: Purchase order forwarded to the vendor. June 2005: New telephone numbers will be made available to users to allow time for dissemination of the new numbers. July 2005: Anticipated completion of installation, testing and switch over to the
new service. Vertical Campus Dedication of the William and Anita Newman Vertical Campus is scheduled for June 22, 2005. The canopy for the southwest entrance is expected to be removed in early April (weather conditions permitting). Were working with CUNY to research and recommend available options for possible installation of snow/ice-controlled devices. Ongoing punch listed items to be reviewed Most architectural lighting in the atria has been installed. Parts are on order for remaining lights to be installed. Emergency lighting for lower levels has been completed. South Campus Roof replacement in 135 East 22 Street is now completed and installation of parapet guardrails has been completed. American Disabilities Act (ADA) code compliance for South Campus buildings - 17 Lexington Avenue, 137 East 22 Street, and 135 East 22 Street - is now under review
by DASNY. Architectural consulting is underway to reconfigure space in 135 East 22 Street to accommodate SPA faculty and staff relocating from the 4 th floor of 137 East 22 Street. Consultation with the Deans Office about the relocation is on-going, and
the moves will be made in late Summer 2005. The following projects are in various stages of development: Three biology research labs are currently in construction at 17 Lexington Avenue
and will be completed this Spring. Mason Hall and the Newman Conference Center will be re-carpeted. In recognition of Baruch Alumni donors, new signage will be installed on 17 Lexington Avenue, 55 Lexington Avenue (the Vertical Campus), 137 East 22 Street (the
Administrative Center) and 151 East 25 Street (the Library Building). The signage will be installed prior to the Vertical Campus dedication ceremony. Baruch College continues to participate in the CUNY-wide energy reduction program during the summer months. VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 3 of 5 Campus Security and Public Safety
The Office of Public Safety is proud to report two Campus Security Assistant-titled Officers have
been promoted to Campus Peace Officers, achieving high scores on the recent Civil Service exam. They will begin their training program at York College on April 1, 2005.
Last Fall we announced the appointment of two Certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), with plans to enroll additional Officers into the EMT training program this year. At this time there
is one Campus Peace Officer attending the EMT training program.
Sergeant Arthur Moore, who has served at Baruch College for more than 10 years, has transferred to LaGuardia Community College with a prospective appointment to Acting Lieutenant. We all wish him good luck.
Installation of a new radio communications system is well underway, and it is anticipated to be operational soon. The enhanced system will provide effective and reliable communications among all floors in all campus buildings, plus expanded coverage of the network and repeater system. Campus Facilities and Operations continues to share its radio communication frequency since the service
disruption of Public Safetys system late last year.
Finance
The annual inventory of Baruch Colleges assets will commence on Monday, April 4, 2005. Prior to the annual inventory period, a list of each departments current assets with accompanying
instructions will be distributed. We ask for your cooperation in this effort.
The College Controllers Office has begun using American FundWare software for the accounting of the Designated Fund Group revenues and expenditures. Monthly reports are disseminated to Project Directors. These funds are now being audited on an annual basis.
CUNY is planning to contract a third party processor to manage student credit card payments of tuition and fees. The processor will charge a convenience fee to the student for use of the card. The University is planning to implement the external processing services beginning Fall 2005.
Currently, the Bursars Office is converting all Bursar-related reports to an electronic format. In
addition to reducing paper costs, the electronic format will facilitate the sharing and communication of information to administrators and staff. More than 90% of Bursar-generated student correspondence is already electronically transmitted. The benefits include more timely delivery
and receipt of information to and from students, and postage and paper cost-avoidance. Human Resources
The Office of Human Resources entered into an era of new leadership as we welcomed Sharon Chambliss-Alvarez as the Director of Human Resources on March 1st. Sharon brings to the campus
a wealth of HR experience that will move Baruch Human Resources to a new level of service and professionalism.
Plans are underway to host the Colleges annual Employee Recognition Day ceremony. The event, tentatively scheduled for May, marks the Colleges celebration of its dedicated and hard working
employees as evidenced by their service longevity. This year, in addition to acknowledging those employees who have completed 25 and 35 years of service, President Waldron has asked to VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 4 of 5 recognize those employees who have achieved 10, 15, and 20-year milestones. Further details on the ceremony will be forthcoming as plans develop.
The U.S. Department of Labor has revised the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations. The FLSA is a federal law that encompasses a number of employment-related matters, including minimum wage, equal pay, and overtime compensation. OHR will keep the College community informed of our responsibilities under the new rules as we obtain more specific information.
One hundred and thirty-seven (137) employees have taken advantage of the new CUNY TransitBenefit Transportation Spending Account (TSA) program, available to all employees through pre-tax payroll deductions. Information about the program can be found at www.cuny.edu/transitbenefit or e-mail the College Benefits Officer at Donna_Katz@baruch.cuny.edu . In an ongoing effort to enhance customer service, the OHR website continues to be updated and improved to provide as much information as possible. Users may access HR forms, policies, and procedures online. Planning and Budget
A Baruch College Business Managers Network was initiated to improve communications throughout the financial community and to examine and improve financial operational activities at Baruch. This group is separate and distinct from the Finance Advisory Committee established by President Waldron. The Business Managers Network is comprised of administrators and staff who manage day-to-day operations and who would like to better understand the financial environment in which we operate.
We welcomed Ms. Boo Choi in the role of Budget Analyst following a national search. She will
develop, analyze, monitor, and support integrated all-funds resource planning at the College. She will be responsible for the Baruch College Fund budget, including its development, communication, execution, and monitoring.
All Funds Revenue and Expenditures summaries and Reserve Balances are now available on-line at
the website of the Vice President for Administration and Finance ( http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/adminfin/ ), These reports are updated quarterly and provide comparative data for the period FY 2002 through FY 2005. Year-to-date tax-levy expenditures by
unit and by major category are also provided. Other informational materials available at this site include a headcount summary of employees, a chart of accounts, and a glossary of key financial terms.
The imbalance in our FY 2005 tax-levy allocations and projected commitments was resolved after
extensive conversations with CUNY regarding the magnitude and type of relief to be offered to the College. We received $1.5 million of assistance, two-thirds of which is permanent (recurring.) The remainder of our budget deficit was resolved through permanent targeted reductions (averaging 1.36% of the base budget) to temporary services, overtime, and administrative vacancies. As was
true last year, the greatest burden was borne by the Administration and Finance units. An additional $1.0 million of costs will be shifted to the non tax-levy budget on a one-time basis in Administration and Finance.
An initiative underway in Administration and Finance is the development of unit assessments to
focus departmental attention on planning, resource management, and service metrics. VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 5 of 5 All required reports to CUNY were submitted on a timely basis. We are aggressively monitoring and pursuing funding opportunities on behalf of the College. Purchasing and Auxiliary Services
New Postage Metering Equipment
Acquisition of upgraded postage metering equipment is being planned for installation by Fall 2005.
History In recognition of the Colleges longstanding commitment to supporting the efforts and mission of mayoral agencies such as Job Path and the Manhattan Transition Center, the College recently received a capital budget allocation from the City Council for improvement of our Mailroom facility. Benefits Installation of new Pitney Bowes equipment will enhance the operation of the Colleges Mail Center. The new equipment will permit labeling, folding, insertion, and sorting by zip code in a one-step operation, increasing the speed of operations and creating potential savings in
postage costs (estimated at more than $70,000 per year when fully implemented) through the use of zip-plus-four sorting on campus. Timeline Early April 2005: Layout of space submitted to CUNY Office of Department of
Design, Construction and Management for approval. Late April 2005: Purchase orders issued to Pitney Bowes for installation of equipment and ergonomically appropriate furnishings suitable for work in a functionally sophisticated environment. (Equipment to be held until renovation is
completed.) May 2005: Final plans submitted to campus architect for completion of drawings and floor plans; reconfiguration of existing space to accommodate new equipment July 2005: Construction of the new Mail Center facility begins, taking advantage of the lighter mailroom traffic expected during the summer. September 2005: Anticipated completion of new facility October 2005: Final installation of new equipment and furnishings; training program begins, using upgraded training facilities to accommodate workers assigned from mayoral agencies.
Administrative Building Address Change
We expect that there will be a revision of the street address for 135 East 22 Street (home of the School of Public Affairs and administrative departments). The number address 135 East 22 Street likely will be changed to 133 East 22 Street during the Spring semester. The College
submitted a request to the Borough Presidents office through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) to assign an address to the ADA entrance ramp and receiving/service entrance that currently serves 135 East 22 Street, 17 Lexington Avenue and 137 East 22 Street. Approval first must be granted by the Borough Presidents office in order
to comply with local ordinances.
Upgraded Telecommunications PBX Switch Acquisition of an upgraded telecommunications PBX switch for the South Campus is planned for Summer 2005. History
In 2001 a new telecommunications network package was acquired through the DASNY to service the newly-constructed Vertical Campus along with other buildings comprising the North Campus (137 East 25 Street and 151 East 25 Street). Subsequent to that
installation, capital project funding has been allocated for the acquisition of a second telecommunications PBX to serve the South Campus buildings (17 Lexington Avenue, 135 East 22 Street, and 137 East 22 Street).
Benefits
Installation of owned equipment will eliminate costly leased service currently provided by Verizon. Estimated cost avoidance will exceed $100,000 per year. A unified telecommunications system will provide intra-campus four-digit dialing, transfer of voice
mail messages between all campus sites and the ability to charge back telephone services to individual users and departments. New telephones will provide enhanced features such as an integrated College-wide telephone directory. Ownership of the system will result in College maintenance and quicker response time to problems.
Timeline Late March 2005 Updated cabling and equipment requirements determined through a final report submitted by telecommunications consultant currently engaged by the College. April 2005: Purchase order for proposed equipment submitted to the Universitys Department of Design, Construction and Management for final approval and encumbrance. The Mitel Network Solutions equipment to be VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 2 of 5 acquired is being offered under the terms of a current State of New York contract. Mid-April 2005: Purchase order forwarded to the vendor. June 2005: New telephone numbers will be made available to users to allow time for dissemination of the new numbers. July 2005: Anticipated completion of installation, testing and switch over to the
new service. Vertical Campus Dedication of the William and Anita Newman Vertical Campus is scheduled for June 22, 2005. The canopy for the southwest entrance is expected to be removed in early April (weather conditions permitting). Were working with CUNY to research and recommend available options for possible installation of snow/ice-controlled devices. Ongoing punch listed items to be reviewed Most architectural lighting in the atria has been installed. Parts are on order for remaining lights to be installed. Emergency lighting for lower levels has been completed. South Campus Roof replacement in 135 East 22 Street is now completed and installation of parapet guardrails has been completed. American Disabilities Act (ADA) code compliance for South Campus buildings - 17 Lexington Avenue, 137 East 22 Street, and 135 East 22 Street - is now under review
by DASNY. Architectural consulting is underway to reconfigure space in 135 East 22 Street to accommodate SPA faculty and staff relocating from the 4 th floor of 137 East 22 Street. Consultation with the Deans Office about the relocation is on-going, and
the moves will be made in late Summer 2005. The following projects are in various stages of development: Three biology research labs are currently in construction at 17 Lexington Avenue
and will be completed this Spring. Mason Hall and the Newman Conference Center will be re-carpeted. In recognition of Baruch Alumni donors, new signage will be installed on 17 Lexington Avenue, 55 Lexington Avenue (the Vertical Campus), 137 East 22 Street (the
Administrative Center) and 151 East 25 Street (the Library Building). The signage will be installed prior to the Vertical Campus dedication ceremony. Baruch College continues to participate in the CUNY-wide energy reduction program during the summer months. VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 3 of 5 Campus Security and Public Safety
The Office of Public Safety is proud to report two Campus Security Assistant-titled Officers have
been promoted to Campus Peace Officers, achieving high scores on the recent Civil Service exam. They will begin their training program at York College on April 1, 2005.
Last Fall we announced the appointment of two Certified Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), with plans to enroll additional Officers into the EMT training program this year. At this time there
is one Campus Peace Officer attending the EMT training program.
Sergeant Arthur Moore, who has served at Baruch College for more than 10 years, has transferred to LaGuardia Community College with a prospective appointment to Acting Lieutenant. We all wish him good luck.
Installation of a new radio communications system is well underway, and it is anticipated to be operational soon. The enhanced system will provide effective and reliable communications among all floors in all campus buildings, plus expanded coverage of the network and repeater system. Campus Facilities and Operations continues to share its radio communication frequency since the service
disruption of Public Safetys system late last year.
Finance
The annual inventory of Baruch Colleges assets will commence on Monday, April 4, 2005. Prior to the annual inventory period, a list of each departments current assets with accompanying
instructions will be distributed. We ask for your cooperation in this effort.
The College Controllers Office has begun using American FundWare software for the accounting of the Designated Fund Group revenues and expenditures. Monthly reports are disseminated to Project Directors. These funds are now being audited on an annual basis.
CUNY is planning to contract a third party processor to manage student credit card payments of tuition and fees. The processor will charge a convenience fee to the student for use of the card. The University is planning to implement the external processing services beginning Fall 2005.
Currently, the Bursars Office is converting all Bursar-related reports to an electronic format. In
addition to reducing paper costs, the electronic format will facilitate the sharing and communication of information to administrators and staff. More than 90% of Bursar-generated student correspondence is already electronically transmitted. The benefits include more timely delivery
and receipt of information to and from students, and postage and paper cost-avoidance. Human Resources
The Office of Human Resources entered into an era of new leadership as we welcomed Sharon Chambliss-Alvarez as the Director of Human Resources on March 1st. Sharon brings to the campus
a wealth of HR experience that will move Baruch Human Resources to a new level of service and professionalism.
Plans are underway to host the Colleges annual Employee Recognition Day ceremony. The event, tentatively scheduled for May, marks the Colleges celebration of its dedicated and hard working
employees as evidenced by their service longevity. This year, in addition to acknowledging those employees who have completed 25 and 35 years of service, President Waldron has asked to VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 4 of 5 recognize those employees who have achieved 10, 15, and 20-year milestones. Further details on the ceremony will be forthcoming as plans develop.
The U.S. Department of Labor has revised the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations. The FLSA is a federal law that encompasses a number of employment-related matters, including minimum wage, equal pay, and overtime compensation. OHR will keep the College community informed of our responsibilities under the new rules as we obtain more specific information.
One hundred and thirty-seven (137) employees have taken advantage of the new CUNY TransitBenefit Transportation Spending Account (TSA) program, available to all employees through pre-tax payroll deductions. Information about the program can be found at www.cuny.edu/transitbenefit or e-mail the College Benefits Officer at Donna_Katz@baruch.cuny.edu . In an ongoing effort to enhance customer service, the OHR website continues to be updated and improved to provide as much information as possible. Users may access HR forms, policies, and procedures online. Planning and Budget
A Baruch College Business Managers Network was initiated to improve communications throughout the financial community and to examine and improve financial operational activities at Baruch. This group is separate and distinct from the Finance Advisory Committee established by President Waldron. The Business Managers Network is comprised of administrators and staff who manage day-to-day operations and who would like to better understand the financial environment in which we operate.
We welcomed Ms. Boo Choi in the role of Budget Analyst following a national search. She will
develop, analyze, monitor, and support integrated all-funds resource planning at the College. She will be responsible for the Baruch College Fund budget, including its development, communication, execution, and monitoring.
All Funds Revenue and Expenditures summaries and Reserve Balances are now available on-line at
the website of the Vice President for Administration and Finance ( http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/adminfin/ ), These reports are updated quarterly and provide comparative data for the period FY 2002 through FY 2005. Year-to-date tax-levy expenditures by
unit and by major category are also provided. Other informational materials available at this site include a headcount summary of employees, a chart of accounts, and a glossary of key financial terms.
The imbalance in our FY 2005 tax-levy allocations and projected commitments was resolved after
extensive conversations with CUNY regarding the magnitude and type of relief to be offered to the College. We received $1.5 million of assistance, two-thirds of which is permanent (recurring.) The remainder of our budget deficit was resolved through permanent targeted reductions (averaging 1.36% of the base budget) to temporary services, overtime, and administrative vacancies. As was
true last year, the greatest burden was borne by the Administration and Finance units. An additional $1.0 million of costs will be shifted to the non tax-levy budget on a one-time basis in Administration and Finance.
An initiative underway in Administration and Finance is the development of unit assessments to
focus departmental attention on planning, resource management, and service metrics. VP for Administration and Finance Report to the General Faculty, April 2005 Page 5 of 5 All required reports to CUNY were submitted on a timely basis. We are aggressively monitoring and pursuing funding opportunities on behalf of the College. Purchasing and Auxiliary Services
New Postage Metering Equipment
Acquisition of upgraded postage metering equipment is being planned for installation by Fall 2005.
History In recognition of the Colleges longstanding commitment to supporting the efforts and mission of mayoral agencies such as Job Path and the Manhattan Transition Center, the College recently received a capital budget allocation from the City Council for improvement of our Mailroom facility. Benefits Installation of new Pitney Bowes equipment will enhance the operation of the Colleges Mail Center. The new equipment will permit labeling, folding, insertion, and sorting by zip code in a one-step operation, increasing the speed of operations and creating potential savings in
postage costs (estimated at more than $70,000 per year when fully implemented) through the use of zip-plus-four sorting on campus. Timeline Early April 2005: Layout of space submitted to CUNY Office of Department of
Design, Construction and Management for approval. Late April 2005: Purchase orders issued to Pitney Bowes for installation of equipment and ergonomically appropriate furnishings suitable for work in a functionally sophisticated environment. (Equipment to be held until renovation is
completed.) May 2005: Final plans submitted to campus architect for completion of drawings and floor plans; reconfiguration of existing space to accommodate new equipment July 2005: Construction of the new Mail Center facility begins, taking advantage of the lighter mailroom traffic expected during the summer. September 2005: Anticipated completion of new facility October 2005: Final installation of new equipment and furnishings; training program begins, using upgraded training facilities to accommodate workers assigned from mayoral agencies.
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