Budget cuts threaten campus jobs
As the clock ticks down to the announcement of the state’s revenue report, expected within days, Utah State University administrators warn that any additional cuts to the university’s budget could have devastating impact on some academic programs and employees associated with them.
The university is currently addressing a 0.8 percent cut, mandated by the Legislature at a special session in December. Administrators were informed at the time about another 2.5 percent reduction to the university’s budget at the beginning of the new fiscal year in July. Now, widespread speculation suggests that a higher cut may be in the offing.
Vice presidents and deans huddled behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss possible courses of action should state lawmakers decide to slash USU’s budget by an additional 2 percent — beyond the 2.5 percent already announced.
“The president has asked deans and vice presidents to now look at a new worst-case scenario — a 6.5 percent total cut,” university spokesman John DeVilbiss said. “This is where things get critical. We’re looking at layoffs of between 180 to 200 employees across campus.”
In what he described as a sobering meeting, DeVilbiss said, it was decided that President Kermit L. Hall would collaborate with Provost Stan Albrecht and Administrative Services Vice President Fred Hunsaker to develop a comprehensive plan “to take into account the various realities” the university is up against.
The plan is expected to be drawn up by the end of next week. Deans and members of the Executive Committee are scheduled to meet Feb. 26 to “review a penultimate white paper draft” of the plan. The final version, which will detail campuswide cutbacks, will be released to the university community in the second week of March.
“With each percent cut, the impact on programs and personnel deepens,” DeVilbiss said. “We want to alert the campus community to the impacts so that no one is in the nether land of wondering. If it comes down to elimination of positions, we want to tell people if their jobs will be affected so they can start making other plans. But we won’t see people exit until July.”
He declined to reveal specifics about which programs are on the chopping block, but said areas targeted include applied technology and joint research ventures with other universities.
“We will also have to divest in programs like the Utah Climate Center, which serves the state of Utah,” DeVilbiss said.
Lecturers, professional and classified staff, teaching assistants and adjunct faculty supported by these programs are in harm’s way, though layoffs are “more speculative rather than definitive at this juncture,” he added.
Administrators are at pains to point out that nothing is set in stone.
“We don’t know what the cuts are at this point. We’re waiting for the state’s revenue report. Once that is in, we’ll know what the cuts are. Right now, it’s just conjecture,” DeVilbiss said, adding later, “We are trying to look ahead. In the process, we are not painting a rosey picture, because we are not looking through rose-colored glasses.”
Nevertheless, the outlook is ominous for faculty and students alike.
“There will be more load on faculty, who will in turn have less time for students. Laboratories will be affected. We may not be able to upgrade our computer systems,” DeVilbiss said. “There will be pain.”
Think of it as being in a war.
“One of the deans in the meeting talked about how we’re poised to do battle. These looming cuts are the enemy. We’re not going to retreat, but there will be casualties if these higher cuts take effect,” DeVilbiss said.
For budget updates, visit http://www.usu.edu/administration/budget/.
–leon@cc.usu.edu
Cuts and Impacts
Universitywide hiring freeze:
* 128 positions not filled
* 16 temporary positions eliminated
* 17 positions cut
* 79 open positions replaced
Graduate education negatively impacted:
* Reduced number of graduate assistants in all colleges
* Graduate School travel dollars intended for recruitment and increasing diversity have been eliminated
Facilities cuts:
* $1 million loss
* Net loss of 23 positions in workforce
* Reduced daily campus maintenance and increased maintenance backlog
* Inadequate funding to pay current utility costs
On the chopping block:
* College of Business may not be reaccredited unless additional resources are allocated — Business is 13 faculty short of accreditation standards on student/faculty ratio
— Without new resources, university may cut 600 students from the college
* Several colleges are proposing elimination of summer programs
— The move is expected to deal a deathblow to the university’s finances
— For every $1 saved at the department or college level, the university stands to lose $10
Source: University budget update. See story for link.