|
|
Posted: Wednesday, 18 November 2009 12:34PM
Mont. Board of Regents talk budget cuts
Posted By: Mike Mestas
|
Bozeman -- Montana's Board of Regents will converge in Bozeman on Thursday and Friday to discuss a number of issues; chief among them, how to trim millions of dollars in the university system budget.
Chair, Steven Barett said the Regents will not vote on anything tomorrow, and that budget discussions are a constant agenda topic. He said it's an especially important topic this year, because the economy continues to struggle. "A good share of our budget last time came from stimulus dollars," Barrett said. "There is no guarantee we'll have those in the future, and we're trying to prepare for that."
Regents have laid out their plan on their website. The presentation details where cuts may be made, and the possible consequnces of them.
For the Montana State University system with campuses in Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls and Havre, budget drawbacks would impact both students and faculty. For example, in Bozeman Regents say it could mean cutting back on the number of full time employees (FTE). That would mean a higher workload for those faculty and staff that are not cut. It would also likely mean bigger class sizes.
Budget cuts would be made across several aread, including operations, infrastructure and personel, for a total of $4,330,732. MSU Bozeman would take the biggest hit in all areas, including $650,000 being cut in personel.
For UM schools, Montana Tech in Butte would see a $50,000 cut in personel, and an $825,000 in operations. Those numbers are second to UM in Missoula, which would see more than $3 million cut in operations and personel combined.
Regents say they have worked hard to protect academic quality, the current workforce, and the student experience, but they say all departments will feel a hit. They say part of the process will be to discuss the plan with their union partners.
You can find the Regents' full schedule by clicking here. For the latest updates on the day's big stories, be sure to watch the News Channel, and follow updates at www.ktvm.com.
|
|
|
|
|
E-Mail Story
Print Story
