Yesterday's Message

Ok - lets move beyond anonymous confessions.

Which universities have gone public with the problems, and what are the public facts.
I'll aggregate links below.

Arizona State University - hard times and - mandatory unpaid furlough specifics - and budget reductions

University of Arizona mandatory furloughs

University of California - minor adjustments; enrollment cuts and senior administrator pay freeze

Emory University - cuts

University of Florida - Faculty Senate Budget blog...

University of Idaho - program prioritization, 41 degree programs up for closure

Kansas system cuts

University of Iowa - budget crisis page - some details here

University of Maine - furloughs

Middle Tennessee State University - major cuts

University of Missouri - furloughs authorized if needed

Nevada system cuts

University of New Mexico - voluntary furloughs

University of North Carolina - UNC estimated impact of budget cuts

Utah State University - furloughs

The furloughs are common, and make for a relatively easy short term cut, if the budget crisis is short term. But, they are very deflationary, since most people have large fixed costs and and a small gross pay cut is a large cut in discretionary income.

What is interesting is who is not updating budgets and plans.
I know some major research universities are quite far along in their process of making plans or scheduling changes, but they have not updated their websites or sent out public advisories.

It also may be observer bias, but are we seeing a rise in resignations and retirements by senior university administrators? People stepping down rather than cutting what they built up, or becoming hated for making harsh decisions.

Hm.

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In case you hadn't heard, the State of California is broke. (Actually, probably worse than broke.
Dr. Isis reports that faculty and staff at MRU will be taking unpaid "furlough" days to deal with a budget crisis:
More State Universities are going to furloughs... And the funding agencies may agree to let faculty take salary from grants for furloughs.
Imagine you are looking ahead to a furlough day and taking seriously the piece of the agreement that specifies that you won't actually do any work on that furlough day.

University of Idaho cutting/merging 41 degree programs as part of "Academic Program Prioritization." A FAQ page was also posted.

By SweetMotherOfMars (not verified) on 11 Feb 2009 #permalink

The NCSU budget page is somewhat short on details, but the latest update [pdf] is fairly ominous, predicting the loss of 660 faculty positions across the University of North Carolina system, among other things, as a consequence of the 7% cut in the state budget.

Florida public universities as a whole were having problems beforehand with getting enough funding from the state govt., and the 'Bright Futures' program (Fl. govt. scholarships based on high school grades) is also in danger.

Last I heard (last semester), UCF as a whole is going to have some similar issues, but the biomedical dept (grad + undergrad) would be fine, and they've just opened a new med school (free for the first group admitted, too!)

I'm an undergrad though, so take that with due cover-up sensibilities..