U needs stronger stance against budget cuts

Utah State Legislators on Capitol Hill are telling the U to offer solutions to the looming budget crisis or face the consequences of even more excessive cuts. The U has already surrendered $6.8 million after Gov. Gary Herbert enacted an immediate 3 percent budget cut for all state budgets. That’s equivalent to firing 68 faculty members who each make $100,000 a year, which essentially equates to the professors of the economics and biology departments combined.

Last week, a sub-appropriations committee unanimously passed an additional 4 percent budget cut for Utah’s higher education for fiscal year 2010—about $9 million more. The cut is still pending approval from the Executive Appropriations Committee before it can be voted on during the legislative session. This is in addition to the sub-committee’s discussion of a 5 percent base cut to the U’s budget.

“If we’re going to advocate for you folks (in higher education)...we need a little more specificity than what we’ve had in the past,” said Rep. Mel Brown, co-chairman of the subcommittee.

Sen. John Valentine, also with the subcommittee, is aware that the budget cuts will put the existence of two state colleges in jeopardy. Both the College of Eastern Utah and Snow College could face closure if the cuts go through.

In a statement issued Dec. 17, U President Michael Young said the administration would work with the Legislature and governor to “enact the higher education component for the governor’s proposed 2010-2011 budget.”

“We should take comfort in the fact that our other vital signs are good and that the governor understands the key role higher education plays in the well-being of the state,” Young said in the statement. “Our goal remains to minimize the impact of the budget reductions on the long-term core missions of the university and, to the best of our ability, position ourselves to move aggressively forward once the economy improves.”

Clearly, the recession is shrinking tax revenues, and the state government is scrambling for solutions. Higher education is receiving mixed messages—the governor says it is important, but legislators are knowingly putting it in harm’s way. It is scary that for the second year in a row, the U is in danger of facing substantial cuts because realistic solutions haven’t been offered.

Rather than fighting for its students and faculty to ensure that these cuts don’t hit the university, the administration is instead placing its confidence in the governor alone.

Although the immediate pain of the budget cuts will most likely be felt in the form of snow removal and custodial and security cuts, the administration must fight for the university community. It can no longer just ride the wave and not fight for providing the best education and services possible for students.

The administration must be more proactive and give the legislators reasons why they shouldn’t slash the U’s budget to help them in their decision-making so that the U’s budget is no longer compromised.