University system lists 8 percent budget cuts for campuses

Reversing an earlier stance rejecting requests for added budget cuts, University Chancellor Dan Klaich has advised the state budget office how much 8 percent reductions would take from each of the system's campuses.

Klaich said the memo was preliminary since the Board of Regents must sign off on any budget reductions. The board is scheduled to meet Feb. 2.

Under an

8 percent reduction, the Nevada System of Higher Education would have to cut general fund spending by $53.44 million over two years.

Klaich's memo emphasized the "extraordinary difficulty of implementing budget cuts particularly at the higher ranges in public education."

He said contracts with professors and other staff have been signed, class schedules set and students have registered and paid their fees, making it virtually impossible to make reductions for the current year without facing lawsuits.

Because of that, Klaich urged Director of Adminis-

tration Andrew Clinger to recommend that any cuts be postponed to the second year of the biennium.

Klaich pointed out that enrollment is up more than 4 percent as unemployed and underemployed Nevadans go back to school to improve their chances of getting a better job.

"Our ability to continue to serve these demands is in doubt should more budget cuts materialize," the letter states.

Klaich's memo to Clinger listed $13.36 million in cuts for this fiscal year and $40 million for 2011. The University of Nevada, Reno would lose $16.8 million and the Las Vegas campus $16.48 million.

Western Nevada College would be hit for $442,037 this year and $1,324,889 next year.

WNC spokesman Ann Hanson said cuts that deep will eat up every bit of savings the college managed to build up by holding positions vacant and reducing programs, putting the campus in the position of further cutting vital programs.

She said growing enrollments in the fall helped WNC weather the round of cuts imposed by the 2009 Legislature.

But she said the campus badly needs to protect its existing revenues, especially with teams arriving this spring to review whether to renew WNC's accreditation.

Hansen said already more than 22 percent of faculty positions are vacant - 18 of 80 - and that further cuts would mean more reductions the school can't afford, especially with a growing enrollment.