The Nevada Sagebrush

Students can read a letter from Chancellor Klaich and see a breakdown of proposed cuts at unr.edu/provost.

University officials discussed the likelihood of financial exigency and other options regarding looming budget cuts for the Nevada System of Higher Education at a town hall meeting today.

The meeting, which was held in the Joe Crowley Student Union Ballroom, was designed as an informative session about the budget cut process for students, faculty and other university supporters.

University of Nevada, Reno President Milton Glick and Provost Marc Johnson agreed that the university would try to absorb any NSHE deficit by making vertical cuts, working with other state universities to eliminate duplicate programs and by implementing a process called curricular review to make decisions.

Curricular review, which was approved by Nevada university presidents and NSHE, requires university officials to review each college and its programs and then make proposals about what to cut. Programs are then given a chance to defend themselves by submitting any data or information they deem important to save their program. At this point, the proposals will go to the college level where faculty will take a vote. Review cannot take place, however, until the Feb. 23 special session comes to a close and an official cut for the NSHE is released, Glick said.

Using curricular review to reassess the university’s spending will allow the administration to make more thought out and democratic decisions, unlike financial exigency, Johnson said.

“Under curricular review we have time,” Johnson said. “Once financial exigency is declared with the Board of Regents, we have little time to move or decide. We want to give impacted employees and programs as much time as possible.”

Financial exigency, which would declare NSHE as bankrupt and essentially eliminate all financial responsibility of the university, would allow officials to break employment contracts, release tenured faculty and cut programs almost immediately. Declaring financial exigency, according to the Board of Regents, also runs the risk of losing accreditation for Nevada institutions.

In order to stay away from financial exigency, officials said they would rather cut programs entirely than take a little from each, which will weaken the universities core programs.

Among questions during public comment were how the university would strive to stay unique when cutting from the budget, and what programs other than academics could be at risk.

Working with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will also be imperative, Glick said.

“We want to remain complementary with UNLV,” Glick said. “If one school doesn’t have something the other will. We can share programs and say I keep this one and you let it go. That way students can still have programs within their state tuition.”

Sharing of programs, however, would only extend to programs outside of the core curriculum, Glick said. All universities will still have core programs such as English and chemistry.

Athletics could also run the risk of getting cuts if NSHE is dealt a large enough deficit.

“Athletics took a 21 percent reduction last cycle,” Johnson said. “They are absolutely still subject to budget cuts because they are still a part of the university.”

Also in attendance at the meeting were Regents Jason Geddes and William Cobb, as well as Associated Students of the University of Nevada President Eli Reilly.

Tara Verderosa can be reached at tverderosa@nevadasagebrush.com.

Related Posts:

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• Glick to release full plan for governor’s cuts
• The Nevada Sagebrush Newscast: 3/28/11