State universities are considering job cuts as a budget deficit looms - Wichita Business Journal:

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Because the springtime would be tough. “Thiz has affected everybody,” says WSU President Don State-funded universities across Kansas have been advised to prepar e for major budget cuts for the fiscal year that startss July 1 as the state government grapples with a revenue shortfalk that could total as muchas $1 billion. Universitied are expecting to have 7 percent less to spend next year than was approveds forthis year. Reginald Robinson, president and CEO of the , says universitiee have floated an array of ideaws on how to make which wouldn’t be formalized until the Legislature and Gov. Kathleehn Sebelius finalize the state’s budge t later this spring.
There’s talk of delaying or cancelling equipment purchases and cuttinfg back programsthat aren’t at the core of universities’ But there’s a large work force too. “I think a lot of what would seek to do is try to reducre their salary expenditures instrategic ways,” Robinson That means freezing some job openings and cutting otherzs altogether. It is unlikely, Robinson says, that universitiew can cope with major spending cuts withoutreliminating jobs. “It is hard to imaginde absorbing a 7 percent base cut in an organizatiojn like a university that isso people-oriented. Most of what a universityt spends money onis people,” he says.
A few numbersa have circulated on how many job cuts may be in the To reach its 7 percentythreshold — or about $2.5 milliom — officials have said they may have to cut aboutf 35 jobs. would look to make salary and benefitf cuts ofabout $11 million. “We would be forcefd to reduce current budgeted staffinyg levels by at least200 full-time and part-timwe positions and reduce our student employee labor force by at leasft 100,000 hours for FY 2010,” the university wrotde in a November memo to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. At Wichitas State University, no numbert of job cuts have been floated.
But Beggws says the school certainly would have to dela y some hires and make a laundrty list ofother cuts. “There would be less outreachg activity. You’d see equipmentt get a year older,” he says. “Wed would see our inability to responrd quickly toemergency — not be able to bring in temporaryh staff to help us in snow situations, ice situations. You woulx see faculty teaching more Some areas that would belarger classes. Other areas more ... It’s a situation if the dollarx aren’t available.
” Already, the university has decidexd to discontinue a program that helps network with local nonprofirorganizations — redirecting $70,000 to $80,000 to other programs, says WSU Provost Gary The university also is examining the future of its Self-Hel p Network, which operates in downtown Wichita with aboutf 60 employees and helps facilitatee the city’s Visioneering program. But it still isn’t clear how the network recently renamed the Center for Community Supporrt andResearch — would change, if at all. “It’sd way too early to understandwhat that’a going to mean to next year’zs budget,” Miller says.
All told, the university would be looking to makeabout $5.3 million in cuts to reachg 7 percent. What’s not clear is whether student tuitiobn will be used to make up some ofthe Robinson, of the Board of says the board last year showed reluctance to passinfg the financial burden to studentz and parents. “I do think it’s safe to say ther will be a great reluctance, or maybe he says.