2008 Woodie Awards
SJSU research organization shuts down due to budgetary issues
Survey and Policy Research Institute fails to become self-sufficient after five years
Casey Jay
Issue date: 5/13/08 Section: News
San Jose State University has closed the doors on its Survey and Policy Research Institute.
Phil Trounstine, the director of the institute who retired upon the university's decision, said it is unfortunate for SJSU to lose such a valuable organization.
"It was getting tremendous publicity," he said of the institute. "San Jose State was in the news all the time."
Established in 2001, the Survey and Policy Research Institute (SPRI) provided polling and survey research for a variety of businesses and purposes.
Trounstine said the institute contracted around $400,000 worth of survey work every year, working with clients such as Cal Trans, the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, the San Jose Mercury News, the California Wellness Foundation, South Bay Labor Council, IBM, Camera Cinemas, the City of San Jose and the university itself.
The institute also produced the quarterly Silicon Valley and California Consumer Confidence surveys.
"We surveyed 1,000 Californians, asking them about their economic condition, as well as political and social questions," Trounstine said.
He said the institute was initially funded with $250,000 of the university's money, and that it was set up as an "organized research unit."
"An ORU is designed to become fully self-sufficient after five years," he explained.
At the end of the five years, the institute's costs were down to $176,000 per year for the university, "which was paying for my salary and the California Consumer Confidence survey," Trounstine said. "Everything else was self-sufficient, but the provost decided she wanted to use the funds for another purpose."
This wasn't enough to save the institute, said Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU media relations specialist. Closing the institute was not an easy decision to make, but the university's first priority is instruction, she said.
"It was fabulous, wonderful research, but given the state of the budget we have to be careful," Lopes Harris said.
"There's no underestimate of the value of what they were doing, but they needed to make good on the commitment," Lopes Harris added, referring to the five-year period.
Trounstine said the institute provided part-time work to 90 SJSU students.
"The lab supervisor was a student, chief technical people were students, and the callers were all students," he said.
Neither Trounstine nor Lopes Harris knew what the university plans to do with the institute's room in the Central Classroom Building or the equipment inside.
Phil Trounstine, the director of the institute who retired upon the university's decision, said it is unfortunate for SJSU to lose such a valuable organization.
"It was getting tremendous publicity," he said of the institute. "San Jose State was in the news all the time."
Established in 2001, the Survey and Policy Research Institute (SPRI) provided polling and survey research for a variety of businesses and purposes.
Trounstine said the institute contracted around $400,000 worth of survey work every year, working with clients such as Cal Trans, the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, the San Jose Mercury News, the California Wellness Foundation, South Bay Labor Council, IBM, Camera Cinemas, the City of San Jose and the university itself.
The institute also produced the quarterly Silicon Valley and California Consumer Confidence surveys.
"We surveyed 1,000 Californians, asking them about their economic condition, as well as political and social questions," Trounstine said.
He said the institute was initially funded with $250,000 of the university's money, and that it was set up as an "organized research unit."
"An ORU is designed to become fully self-sufficient after five years," he explained.
At the end of the five years, the institute's costs were down to $176,000 per year for the university, "which was paying for my salary and the California Consumer Confidence survey," Trounstine said. "Everything else was self-sufficient, but the provost decided she wanted to use the funds for another purpose."
This wasn't enough to save the institute, said Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU media relations specialist. Closing the institute was not an easy decision to make, but the university's first priority is instruction, she said.
"It was fabulous, wonderful research, but given the state of the budget we have to be careful," Lopes Harris said.
"There's no underestimate of the value of what they were doing, but they needed to make good on the commitment," Lopes Harris added, referring to the five-year period.
Trounstine said the institute provided part-time work to 90 SJSU students.
"The lab supervisor was a student, chief technical people were students, and the callers were all students," he said.
Neither Trounstine nor Lopes Harris knew what the university plans to do with the institute's room in the Central Classroom Building or the equipment inside.
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