The Nevada Sagebrush

The University of Nevada, Reno could lose two sports, 25 percent of classes and the Fleishmann Planetarium if legislators cut the budget to 2006 funding levels.

The Nevada System of Higher Education presented legislature reports detailing the impacts that budget cuts to the 2006 levels would have on state education institutions on Friday.

The legislators requested the impact information so they could find a solution to the state’s $2.3 billion shortfall and Gov. Jim Gibbons’ proposed 36 percent cut to higher education, NSHE Executive Vice Chancellor Dan Klaich said.

Cuts to the 2006 funding level would mean an 18.76 percent cut, or $128.3 million, to state funding for NSHE. For UNR, it would mean a $45.7 million reduction in state funds, or a 20.7 percent cut in state dollars.

“I think the chancellor has made it very clear that he would like to see budget cuts kept in single digits. He’d like to be talking in the neighborhood of 5 percent,” Klaich said. “(But) I think (students) should read those (proposals) as very real statements of what could happen to our institutions if the funding does not come through.”

If the state can fund education to 2006 levels, higher education would be eligible for about $123 million of stimulus money, which is not accounted for in the scenarios that each college presented.

“I’m sure it would harm the public’s perception of the university if we had to take that reduction,” Provost Marc Johnson said. “We’ve been moving toward a 14 percent reduction and we’ve about got to that. If they went to 20 percent, we’re kind of out of options.”

Intercollegiate athletics

If UNR were to cut funding to the 2006 level, it could mean restructuring coaches’ contracts, reduction of scholarships in some sports and potential elimination of two sports, the impact report states.

Johnson said the university will not name the sports unless cuts to that level are finalized. He said it would be less central sports, definitely not basketball or football.

Programs and faculty

While preparing for a 14 percent cut, the university hasn’t affected any classes or students’ abilities to get their degrees. But with a 20.7 percent cut, that would change, Johnson said.

“If we go further than this, I’m having a hard time figuring out where to go,” he said. “We are just whacking all over the place.”

The impact report says it would be necessary to cut 100 faculty and 20 classified positions. UNR could save $12 million by cutting about 800 class sections in the 2009-11 biennium, which account for about 25 percent of UNR’s annual courses.

Statewide programs

UNR would cut about $2 million for statewide programs, like cooperative extension services, if the university is funded at the 2006 level. The cut would likely eliminate all state funding for the Fleischmann Planetarium, which would probably cause the facility to close entirely, according to the impact statement.

Johnson said UNR is waiting to find out where the “budget ax” will drop before taking further action because the scenarios will be drastically different depending on what the final reductions are.

Jessica Fryman can be reached at jfryman@nevadasagebrush.com.

Budget Meeting
The regents will discuss the NSHE budget at its meeting.
When: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday
Where: Western Nevada College

Related Posts:

• Talk about higher ed is cheap
• NSHE hires official voice
• NSHE may hear merger plans
• NSHE to seek flat funding
• UNR may see $30.2 million cut