Dear Colleague,

The University Budget Committee met, as you know, at noon today to review
the latest in budget negotiations in Nashville.

We do not yet have an action taken by the State Legislature, nor following
the legislative action, a Governor's action.

The absence of a budget to operate the affairs of the State of Tennessee
for the fiscal year starting July 1 would include the University of
Tennessee.  We have been alerted by the administration that no operation of
the university is possible without a budget in place - or some sort of
legislation that enacts authority for temporary operation for a few days or
for operation of a few essential and/or contracted state functions for a
few days.

At UTC's University Budget Committee meeting today, we had, then, more
questions than answers.  We weighed "possibilities" more than spending time
confirming real numbers to our budget assumptions for next year.

This is where we think we are...at 2:00 p. m. on Friday.

We do not have a budget.  Closing the state operation for a day or week or
??? is likely if no budget or temporary authority legislation is
passed.  At worse case, UTC would not be able to operate Monday, July 1.

Since most of us usually try not to believe in the "worsts" of anything, I
would urge us to the following strategies.   Keep urging our legislative
friends to pass a budget favorable to higher education!

Then, watch the paper, the television/radio broadcasts - including WUTC,
especially if we require late news on Sunday.  Let's treat the "shut down"
possibility as a "snow day" alert.  Watch the news to see if we are open or
closed Monday.  As soon as  any updated information becomes available, we
will send out a RAVEN email and post any changes on the university website.

And, to offer the most definitive clarity on our status Monday, let's call
another public meeting (to which all of us are invited!) of the University
Budget Committee Monday at 9:00 a.m. in or near Fletcher Hall.  If there is
not budgetary authority to be open and operate, we will meet in the
courtyard in front of Fletcher Hall.  If the budget bill has passed or if
UTC operation has been included in some umbrella of "essential" or
"contracted services", we will be meeting in Fletcher 113.

Watch your public news media for latest and most up-to-date
information.  Otherwise, I will see you Monday morning at 9:00, "rain snow
or shine."

Bill