Budget cuts would hurt instruction at Kansas universities, officials say

Cutting budgets at Kansas’ six universities by as much as 7 percent by 2010 would mean losing jobs, classes, services and programs at some of the schools, officials said Tuesday.

university administrators this week began looking at how to trim 2 percent from their current fiscal year budgets and 5 percent in fiscal year 2010, which begins in July 2009.

They said the first round of reductions can be done with minimal harm to students, but cutting 5 percent the following year would take something away from instruction.

“We are going to try and continue to spend the same amount of dollars on direct instruction, but it may not be the same instruction,” said Don beggs, president at wichita state university. Some programs and classes could be lost, he said.

The kansas board of regents has asked administrators at each university for proposals on how they would reduce spending over the next two years. The regents’ action was prompted by a request from Gov. kathleen sebelius that all state agencies look at cutting budgets for the current fiscal year by 1 to 2 percent. The state’s budget director then asked regent universities to show how they would also cut another 5 percent from their 2010 budget requests, with little impact on class instruction.

“What is coming from the governor’s office is really a flag that the state’s revenue picture is cloudy,” said reginald robinson, the regents’ chief executive officer. “They are saying, in light of a shift (downward) in revenue, it is prudent for us to think about tightening in 2009 and then begin to outline how to absorb cuts in 2010.”

Regents will receive budget-cutting plans from their universities by Aug. 15.

beggs and administrators at other schools, including kansas state, the university of kansas and fort hays, said they would look first at reducing spending on equipment, supplies and other one-time expenditures. Other universities said they would delay filling some positions.

“But if the economy continues to deteriorate we may have to do more,” beggs said. A 2 percent reduction cuts $1.48 million from Wichita’s budget. A 5 percent reduction cuts about $3.7 million.

•At KU, 2 percent cuts $5.5 million from the budget, 5 percent cuts $9.2 million.

•At K-State, 2 percent cuts $3.7 million from the budget, 5 percent cuts $9.7 million.

•At fort hays, 2 percent cuts $750,000 from the budget, 5 percent cuts $1.9 million.

•At Emporia State, 2 percent cuts $710,000 from the budget, 5 percent cuts $2.5 million.

•At Pittsburg State, 2 percent cuts $770,000 from the budget, 5 percent cuts $2.7 million.

“I’m still hoping that this is not going to happen,” said Bruce Shubert, K-State associate vice president of administration and finance.

Tags: kansas board of regents,kathleen sebelius,wichita state university,regent universities,time expenditures,reginald robinson,board of regents,budget requests,budget director,minimal harm,current fiscal year,chief executive officer,direct instruction,beggs,university administrators,university of kansas,kansas state,fort hays,budgets,proposals

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 |

---