The attached spreadsheet contains the Graduate Assistantship allocations for 2004-05. As you know, the GA budget is made up of two parts: a primary allocation from the Division of Research & Advanced Studies, and a supplement provided by the College. In 2003-04, Research & Advanced Studies provided $4,267,878, and the College provided $445,890, for a total of $4,713,768. For 2004-05, the allocation from Research & Advanced Studies has remained unchanged. Unfortunately, with the College now confronting a permanent reduction to its budget of at least $1,800,000, we are forced to consider cuts to all aspects of the College’s budget. We have determined that, as part of our overall budget plan, we must reduce the College's supplement by at least $200,000. The total budget for graduate assistantships for 2004-05 will therefore be $4,490,178, with $4,267,878 provided by Research & Advanced Studies and $222,300 provided by the College. This represents a cut of 4.73% of the total budget for Graduate Assistantships.

As the attached spreadsheet shows, the assignment of cuts to the units is not across-the-board. Instead, we have arrived at these cuts by
considering a variety of factors, both quantitative and qualitative, about your graduate programs. Cuts have been made by cutting the
number of positions funded, rather than by cutting the base stipends. To make these cuts, we have considered factors such as the quality
of the graduate program and the graduate students, the role of graduate assistants in your teaching and research missions, and the role
of Graduate Assistantships in your overall graduate funding strategy. We have drawn on information sources such as the GRAAD reports,
five-year plans, recent history of graduate student support (both internal and external), enrollment data, etc. There is no formula or
exact science to these cuts, but we have done our best to make informed, strategic and thoughtful decisions that will minimize the
negative impacts of these cuts.

The UGS budget is a different (and somewhat brighter) story. The UGS budget of comes entirely from Research & Advanced Studies, and will
remain at the 2003-04 level of $8,734,479. I anticipate that, as in the past, any tuition increases for next year will be met by corresponding
increases in the UGS budget, so our UGS "buying power" for next year will be the same as this year. I will get the UGS allocations out as
soon as I can -- certainly within the next two weeks. Typically, we do not fully spend the UGS budget, so I will be looking at usage patterns
the over last few years to see if adjustments are appropriate. As part of this process, I welcome your input. Please let me know if you have
for an a need increase in your UGS budget: how much of an increase would you like me to consider, and why do you think it is necessary or
desirable. I'd like to receive such requests by the end of this week.

As you consider this, please keep in mind that the University's tuition incentive plan remains in effect, as do the related college policies.
In particular, the copayment for all unadorned UGS's goes up to 20% in the fall. We'll be examining all of these policies in the coming
months, but for now, the policies laid out in http://www.artsci.uc.edu/business/GraduateProgram/GraduateProg_UGS_FY04.htm
still apply. Also, please understand that, while I will do my best to satisfy reasonable requests for increases in UGS allocations,
there is no possibility of increasing your GA allocation for next year.