But let me be clear: the university cannot continue to bear such a disproportionate share of the budget shortfalls and maintain its academic quality. The additional budget cuts the governor is reluctantly recommending - in excess of $100 million - will erode the academic core of the university. Seven of every 10 dollars appropriated to the university goes straight to the academic core, and it is simply impossible to absorb further budget cuts without dramatically affecting the quality of the academic experience for our students. Nearly 1,200 additional positions would have to be eliminated, and nearly half would be faculty positions. The inevitable result would be further increases in class size and fewer course offerings, the elimination and reduction of student support programs and the elimination of critical administrative positions.
In my earlier budget analysis, I held faculty salaries constant. We'd need to eliminate one position (6 courses over the year). We'd absorb that with more students in other sections until we reached capacity and then students would wait a semester to get in to a required course.
