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Regents OK budget-cut plan minus mid-year tuition increase |
| By Tom Jackson |
|
| Using a variety of one-time funding
options, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents adopted,
at their regular meeting Oct. 12–13, a plan which meets
an additional $64.8 million state budget reduction for fiscal
year 2005 without resorting to a mid-year tuition increase. The regents’ plan passes at least $20.3 million in reductions to the System units, and perhaps as much as $27.6 million, depending on whether other one-time funding sources are identified centrally. If regents’ guidelines for the reduction follow traditional paths, the University of Georgia can expect to absorb approximately one-fourth of the amount, or $5 million to $7 million, according to Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration Henry M. Huckaby. UGA units already have prepared budget-reduction plans for a variety of scenarios, ranging from a $5.2 million cut to one of $16.3 million. These plans include, among other options, varying degrees of hiring slowdowns, utilizing more part-time faculty, postponing facilities maintenance, and reductions in operating and travel budgets. The one-time funding includes taking $27.8 million from reserves in the health insurance fund for System employees, reducing the fund to a 30-day reserve. Another $9.4 million is recommended to be redirected from economic development funds previously appropriated for a joint-venture project between the University of Georgia and Merial Pharmaceuticals which was under negotiation but did not materialize. “This is difficult, but it is not as difficult as some of the other scenarios we were facing,” says Huckaby, who notes that total cuts in UGA’s state funding since fiscal year 2002 will reach from $79 million to $81 million, depending on the final resolution of this plan. UGA student government leaders joined others from around the System in lobbying for a reduction in the severity of the cuts, and staff and faculty were active in writing letters to legislators and newspapers. “We certainly thank our students, faculty and staff for their support of continued quality higher education in Georgia,” says President Michael F. Adams. “We’re glad that a compromise was possible and that we were able to avoid a mid-year tuition increase, but it is clear we will need an increase effective with the next fiscal year.” Because much of the fiscal year 2005 budget cut was met with one-time sources, the budget reduction still must be covered in the System’s fiscal year 2006 budget. |
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