As the U.S. economy slips deeper into a recession during the first few weeks of 2009, University officials have been working on plans in preparation to cut the University budget.
Chancellor James Oblinger released a statement Jan. 15 concerning the budget and said the University would work with the state to help balance the budget but would attempt not to forfeit the quality of education students receive.
“We are working with President [Erskine] Bowles to help make the case that cuts to higher education have a dual effect on the state’s economy by not only limiting academic programs but also slowing our ability to fuel North Carolina’s economic health,” he said.
When the state releases the 2009-10 budget in July, University officials will know exactly what has to be trimmed from the University budget for the next fiscal year.
Until then, the University can only plan potential cuts, something vice chancellor for Student Affairs Tom Stafford said is very difficult.
“The impact of all those reversions were felt some in the fall semester and are now being felt in a much more significant way across the campus,” Stafford said.
The first round of budget cuts, announced during the fall semester, forced the University to give budgeted money back to the state through a series of reversions.
“Over the course of the fall up until a couple weeks ago, the previous governor asked people around the state to revert a certain amount from the 2008-2009 budget,” he said. “As we went through the fall, the revunues from taxes have been running well below what was projected when the budget was approved.”
The newest projections for the 2009-2010 budget have once again made the University prepare for more potential cuts, according to Stafford.
Stafford said the budget for 2009-2010 could be anywhere from three to seven percent less than the original 2008-2009 budget, before the fall semester reversions.
“The part we are really concerned about is what the General Assembly will do for our budget in 2009-2010,” Stafford said. “If they cut our budget by a significant amount, it’s going to be a really negative impact on our students.”
Jeffrey Braden, interim dean of the College of the Humanities and Social Sciences, said the budget reversion in the fall forced CHASS to eliminate positions and class sections for this semester.
“We lost a few permanent positions in non-teaching staff and we had a few people leave and didn’t fill those positions,” he said. “We also lost some class sections for spring. Our class size went up but our number of sections went down.”
Braden said the potential for further cuts will continue to hurt CHASS and other colleges across campus. He also said the plans being discussed in CHASS center on trying not to harm the ability of students to make progress toward their degrees.
“The first priority is to save any direct services that impact student,” he said. “But we can’t lose that much of the budget without impacting intrcution. Students will have more trouble getting the courses they want.”
Provost Larry Nielsen, who oversees the appointment, promotion and compensation of faculty, said that plans for potential cuts are not yet final despite the poor outlook for the state budget.
“It’s going to be quite some time yet,” he said of the University having finalized plans. “We’ve got lots of people engaged in this but it will be several months before we make any final decisions.”
Nielsen said that difficult decisions about the University’s budget will have to be made.
“These are hard times for the state and we’re going to have to tighten our belts even more,” he said.
Stafford said any budget cut for the 2009-2010 year will impact the University directly.
“If we get a seven percent cut we’re going to have to let some people go,” he said. “We’re going to have to tell people who are now employed that they no longer have a job at N.C. State.”
Stafford also said students need to be concerned about budget cuts because they will also be impacted by the cuts.
“There is a possibility that programs we have now for students not directly connected to degree programs could be eliminated or significantly reduced,” he said. “This is the number one issue students need to be concerned about.”
