PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

Dear Colleagues,

I write to inform you of new appointments and reorganization at the College:

- John Crooks, Ph. D. , will serve as Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic and Students Affairs, effective July 22, 2024...

Dear Colleagues,

I write to inform you of new appointments and reorganization at the College:

- John Crooks, Ph.D., will serve as Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic and Students Affairs, effective July 22, 2024. John has served as Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs since 2020 and recently as Interim President at Eastern Gateway Community College. He previously served as Associate Provost from 2006-2020 and as Dean of the Division of Science and Mathematics from 1999-2006 at Lorain County Community College and has held other leadership positions. Given his statewide leadership experiences, John has worked closely with the Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Higher Learning Commission. In his role at Lakeland, John will provide leadership for and oversee the academic and student affairs divisions of the College, along with marketing and communication of programs and services. John earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Bowling Green State University. His CV is attached for your information.

- Jennifer Collis, Ph.D., will serve as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Retention Services, effective July 15, 2024. Jennifer has served as Associate Provost at Lakeland since 2017, and previously served as Associate Vice President at Lake Erie College from 2008-2017 and as Director of the Office of Student and Alumni Services and as Senior Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies at The Ohio State University. In her new role at Lakeland, Jennifer will provide leadership for and oversee recruitment and admissions, retention and student support services, financial aid, registrar, counseling and advising, career services, as well as CCP and CTE areas. Under Jennifer's leadership, Stephanie Brown will serve as Chief Data Analytics Officer and College Registrar, Melissa Amspaugh as Senior Director for Enrollment Operations and Admissions, and Christina Corsi as Senior Director of Student Success. Jennifer earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut. Her CV is also attached for your information.

- Effective July 11, 2024, Tina Baucher has begun service as Interim Executive Director of the Lakeland Foundation, replacing Greg Sanders. Tina previously served as Associate Director for Development and Alumni Relations at the Foundation.

- Finally, in addition to David Cummins's responsibilities in finance, including auxiliary operations, and campus facilities, his portfolio will include the departments of human resources and campus police and public safety.

This reorganization reduces the number of vice presidents from six to three and eliminates several associate provost appointments. It is intended to produce a flatter rather than a top-heavy organizational structure and allows us to provide a focus on student services and to rebalance our resources toward investments in mid-level and front-line staffing positions geared toward increasing enrollment and retention and student support services, as we have recently done and as I articulated in my first day message.

Please join me in welcoming these individuals to their new roles at Lakeland Community College.

Very best regards,

Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D. President

Dear Colleagues,

Since assuming presidency at Lakeland six weeks ago, my most immediate and important priority has been to achieve a balanced budget for FY 2025. As I've shared previously, we have been exploring all options over the last few weeks to close a deficit of about $3 million. This shortfall will not come out of reserves, which means we must make difficult decisions and changes to how we operate the College...

Dear Colleagues,

Since assuming presidency at Lakeland six weeks ago, my most immediate and important priority has been to achieve a balanced budget for FY 2025. As I've shared previously, we have been exploring all options over the last few weeks to close a deficit of about $3 million. This shortfall will not come out of reserves, which means we must make difficult decisions and changes to how we operate the College.

After my organizational scan and consideration of various alternatives, we are nearing a balanced budget for FY 2025 by taking the following major steps: elimination of certain management and staff positions, with reallocation of some resources toward student support services; limits on discretionary spending via internal controls; and addressing the remaining gap via a review of academic operations.

This plan first and foremost places heavy emphasis on expense reduction and right-sizing the organization. This includes reducing the number of college employees in some areas, while investing in key strategic areas to enhance current and future enrollment. It is also geared toward the College's long-term financial sustainability in mind.

In light of these considerations, I note the following actions following last night's Board of Trustees meeting:

Management and Staff Positions

- The College will eliminate a number of management and staff positions, including several vice-presidential positions. These cuts will result in reduction in salaries and benefits by just over $1.5 million, also addressing the overstaffing concern noted in the Ohio Performance Audit Report. Impacted employees have been notified. The Office of Human Resources will provide information about the timing, vacation pay, health benefits, unemployment benefits, and outplacement services.

- At the same time, we will invest in staff positions in critical areas of need concerning enrollment, retention of students and staff, and student support. The Board approved several staff positions and compensation adjustments primarily for Student Service Center, Learning Support Center, and Teaching & Learning Center. These investments will amount to approximately $300,000.

- The offices and positions involving Executives in Residence, HIVE, and the Non-Profit Center will be discontinued effective June 30, 2024.

Discretionary Spending

- Effective July 1, 2024, all discretionary spending will be limited to those essential to college strategy and operations. This includes the elimination of all non-essential travel, memberships, subscriptions, sponsorships, and food purchases. These expenses will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and require prior approval by the Treasurer and President.

- College credit cards will be limited to a handful of employees effective July 1, 2024. Most credit cards will be deactivated. Expenses previously purchased using credit cards must be pre-approved via the purchasing requisition process.

- All existing college contracts will be reviewed carefully to determine if they should be continued, discontinued, or renegotiated.

- It is expected that these measures will reduce discretionary spending by at least $500,000. The Treasurer's Office will track actuals very closely and be cognizant that additional discretionary reductions could be necessary within the fiscal year.

The changes outlined above will result in a remaining deficit of approximately $1.2 million for FY 2025. That gap will need to be made up quickly within the new fiscal year to achieve a balanced budget in FY 2025 and with added measures begin adding to reserves in FY 2026, as noted by the Ohio Performance Audit Report. It is my expectation that, barring unforeseen circumstances, these changes will allow us to stabilize the College's administrative and staff workforce moving forward. Finally, I understand that these changes will undoubtedly create anxiety, but I am committed to being transparent about the College's financial situation and strategic direction.

Again, these are extremely difficult decisions that must be made to ensure a strong financial future for Lakeland. Thank you for all you do for the students, the College, and the community.

Very best regards,

Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D. President

Dear Colleagues,

I write to inform you that Mr. Greg Sanders, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director for the Lakeland Foundation, will be leaving Lakeland to join MetroHealth as Vice President of Philanthropy. Greg's resignation at the College will be effective July 10, 2024...

Dear Colleagues,

I write to inform you that Mr. Greg Sanders, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director for the Lakeland Foundation, will be leaving Lakeland to join MetroHealth as Vice President of Philanthropy. Greg's resignation at the College will be effective July 10, 2024.

Since joining Lakeland in 2019, Greg has successfully led the Lakeland Foundation in raising significant funding for student scholarships, student success programs, and other initiatives in support of the College’s mission. The Foundation secured $6.8 million in FY 2023, marking the highest level of support in its 40-year history.

I wish Greg well in his new endeavor and thank him for his service to Lakeland. I will work with Lakeland Foundation Board Chair Jon Snyder to ensure a seamless transition and recruit a new Executive Director for the Foundation.

Very best regards,

Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D. President

[bcc to college employees, Lakeland Board of Trustees, and Lakeland Foundation Board Chair]

Dear Colleagues,

Throughout the month of June, we will be working to bring a balanced budget for FY 2025 to the Lakeland Board of Trustees for approval prior to July 1.

I appreciate the hard work of Interim Treasurer Mike Cooper and our cost center managers during the budgeting process to identify opportunities to reduce expenses and increase revenues for next year.

A preliminary draft budget for FY 2025 was presented to the Board for discussion at their special meeting on May 30...

Dear Colleagues,

Throughout the month of June, we will be working to bring a balanced budget for FY 2025 to the Lakeland Board of Trustees for approval prior to July 1.

I appreciate the hard work of Interim Treasurer Mike Cooper and our cost center managers during the budgeting process to identify opportunities to reduce expenses and increase revenues for next year.

A preliminary draft budget for FY 2025 was presented to the Board for discussion at their special meeting on May 30. Here are some key notes from the budget presentation:

- At this point, the college is projected to end the FY 2024 budget with a shortfall of about $3.4 million. We will use the month of June to further refine the FY 2025 budget and explore all options toward a balanced budget.

- The draft FY 2025 budget assumes an overall 7.4% decrease in State Share of Instruction (SSI), student fees, property taxes, and other revenue compared to FY 2024.

- The preliminary proposed FY 2025 budget anticipates an 11.5% decrease in compensation and operational expenses over last year's budget.

- A tuition increase of $5 per credit hour beginning Fall 2024 was discussed, but no decision has been made.

As I have stated previously, we need to reset, reshape, and rebuild Lakeland for a sustainable future. Next year's budget is a blueprint for that, along with implementing the Performance Audit Recommendations and developing a new Strategic Plan. Until the FY 2025 budget is approved by the Board, please do not incur any expenses against next year’s budget, including but not limited to memberships, sponsorships, subscriptions, workshops, and non-essential travel.

Looking to the future, I am pleased to announce that the Board has named Mr. David Cummins as Lakeland's new Vice President for Administrative Services and College Treasurer effective July 1, 2024. David has served in multiple roles at the Ohio Department of Higher Education, recently as Associate Vice Chancellor of Financial Planning and Oversight and previously as Interim Vice Chancellor of Finance and Data Management. He also served as Vice President for Administrative Services and Treasurer for Lorain County Community College, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer for The University of Akron, and Vice President of Business & Finance and Treasurer for North Central Technical College.

Mr. Mike Cooper, director for budgeting and interim treasurer, has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2024. We are incredibly grateful to Mike for stepping up during a critical time of transition and wish him the best in the future.

Thank you for all you do for the students, the College, and the community.

Very best regards,

Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D. President

[bcc to college employees and Lakeland Board of Trustees]

Dear Colleagues,

Today is my first official day as President of Lakeland Community College. I am thrilled to be here. I had the pleasure of meeting many of you over the last few weeks, and I am deeply appreciative of the warm welcome as I have transitioned into the role...

Dear Colleagues,

Today is my first official day as President of Lakeland Community College. I am thrilled to be here. I had the pleasure of meeting many of you over the last few weeks, and I am deeply appreciative of the warm welcome as I have transitioned into the role. I look forward to meeting the rest of you in the weeks and months to come.

I wanted to send this message not only on my first day, but also as we end an academic year and plan for the next. These thoughts are intended to articulate my vision and strategic direction for Lakeland to address the many challenges and opportunities ahead of us, subject, of course, to many collective conversations on campus about significant directions.

In order of equal importance, I see the following as major priorities:

- Performance Audit: The recent state Performance Audit identified a number of concerns about the College's operations. I take those concerns seriously and am committed to addressing all of them promptly and comprehensively. We will respond to the audit within the 60-day timeline and begin implementation of that response in the required timeframe.

- Financial Sustainability: Our most important priority must and will be to ensure a secure financial future for the College, with responsible stewardship of public dollars. This will entail producing balanced budgets annually, increasing our reserves, and improving our Senate Bill 6 and Higher Learning Commission's Composite Financial Index scores, as key financial benchmarks. We will look at both sides of the ledger to contain costs further and maximize revenues through appropriate programmatic changes and other initiatives.

- Enrollment and Retention: All else being equal, it is easier and cheaper to retain than to recruit. We will look for new opportunities for growth in enrollment (either via new or redesigned programs, including microcredentials for the workforce, or via other subsets of student populations, such as more adult students), aided by an effective recruitment and enrollment management operation. At the same time, we will appropriately shore up our retention efforts as we look toward Fall 2024 enrollment and beyond.

- Academic Portfolio: We will soon engage in a comprehensive, data-informed review of the College's academic portfolio and program sustainability. Particularly in light of the Performance Audit, we will evaluate and address low-enrolled programs and courses and optimize course offerings. As a result of these reviews, we should identify programs which provide Lakeland a competitive advantage, know what Lakeland stands for, and appropriately invest in areas of strategic growth and those central to the mission.

- Workforce Development: We must and will focus on workforce development and grow opportunities in Lake County and the region. Workforce development is a core part of a community college's mission. I look forward to engaging with area businesses and industry for workforce development opportunities, not only to establish or strengthen college-industry partnerships, but also for Lakeland to serve as an economic anchor and driver in Lake County and Northeast Ohio.

- Organizational Structure: I have been reviewing the College's organizational structure and will soon engage in conversations and develop a streamlined staffing structure. At the same time, we need to rebalance our resources toward student support services and enrollment management, areas connected to growth, retention, and institutional reputation.

- Strategic Plan: Last but not least, as our current strategic plan ends this year, I look forward to working with the campus community on renewing our plan and vision for the future. We will develop a forward-looking plan, one that is responsive to higher education trends in the state and the country.

I am still learning about Lakeland, and I look forward to many conversations with many of you about our future. In all these efforts, my approach will be based on strategic considerations and in alignment with the mission and vision of the College. My guiding principles will include being pragmatic, transparent, thoughtful, inclusive, and data-oriented (especially as a quantitatively trained social scientist), working under guidance provided by the Board of Trustees.

As significant changes are occurring in higher education throughout the country and the state, many of which impact us directly, we need to rethink the way we do things and readjust in light of those trends. This is a reset moment. Together, we will reset, reshape, and rebuild Lakeland for the success of the students, the College, and the community. I believe a bright future for Lakeland lies ahead.

Again, I am thrilled by the opportunity to serve as President of Lakeland Community College. I look forward to working with all of you and engaging with you about the future of the College.

I wish everyone a happy summer. Thank you for all you do for the students, the College, and the community.

Very best regards,

Sunil Ahuja, Ph.D. President