Legislature asks for university budget cuts

According to a letter from the Texas Legislature, state agencies, including Texas A&M University-Commerce, have one month to submit a plan identifying where five percent of the budget could be cut in the 2010-11 biennium. This exercise means A&M-Commerce will need to identify approximately 3.8 million dollars over the next two years that can be saved in light of the state's uncertain economy and projected shortfall.

Last year the state requested an emergency plan to cut 2.5 percent of the general revenue, which turned out to be just an exercise, but A&M-Commerce President Dr. Dan Jones said the university would likely see this year's plans implemented.

"We are fairly certain we will have to make these cuts," Jones said.

Assistant Vice President & Director of Budgeting and Financial Analysis, Alicia Currin, said this time she thinks the state's request is very serious.

"I just believe the state will probably have a shortfall," Currin said. "I believe that we will have some tough times…we're out there all competing for the same resources."

Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker of the House Joe Straus have given institutions of higher education until Feb. 15 to submit their strategies, which should cover a plan for both the system and its components.

The last time Texas requested official budget cuts from state agencies was Jan. 2003, when Jones said he was asked to find seven percent to cut from the budget in that fiscal year. The tedious process involved going line by line through every account; however, Jones said this year a large sum of the money could be found quickly.

"We think this time around we can find about 40 percent in unbudgeted funds and reserve accounts," Jones said. "We can come up with about two million of the 3.8."

Some of that money would come from what Jones called a "rainy day account," and would leave the Budget Review & Development Council to come up with about 1.8 million dollars in remaining budget cuts.

Jones said some possible ideas to save money could include consolidating programs, freezing vacant positions and putting less money into facilities.

"We want to make the cuts where they are least likely to be noticed," Jones said. "We don't want to cut classes, because we wouldn't be serving students."

Currin also said the university would be looking internally, so the impact on students would be minimal; however, there is the possibility of seeing more students in a class.

"I think Dr. Jones' guiding principle is to protect the instructional core of the university," Currin said. " I think they'll look first at cost efficiencies and where we can save money rather than asking departments to give up their money."

Not all faculty members are as concerned about the budget cut exercise, which is generally an annual occurrence.

"I think the five percent cut is the worst case scenario, but it's highly unlikely that it will happen," director of speech communications, Dr. John Ballotti, said.

Balloti who also represents the mass media, communication & theater department in the faculty senate, said if there were cuts, they would probably come from lines in the budget that are not used anymore as opposed to cutting programs or faculty.

"The way that the five percent [cuts] would probably happen is by attrition," Ballotti said.