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UL has answered the state-mandated call for a $4.3 million-plus budget cut, and while academics have emerged unscathed by the new plan, other university programs will face reductions.
UL submitted its plan for dealing with the cuts, collectively 4.62 percent of the university's budget, to the UL System this week.
Louisiana's higher education community has had to shoulder $55 million in budget cuts in the current fiscal year which runs to June 30 - a considerable chunk of the $341 million state budget deficit brought on by falling revenues.
<center><p><a href="http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090109/NEWS01/901090333/1002" target="_blank">The rest of the story</a>
Cody Daigle •
cdaigle@theadvertiser.com • January 9, 2009
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The UL System's share of the cuts came to $19.7 million.
In tackling the reductions, UL targeted cuts that would not affect the school's academic programs, faculty or staff.
"We exist to provide quality higher education opportunities to students," UL President Joseph Savoie said in a news release, "and therefore, budget reductions at UL Lafayette will not affect the quality of our academic offerings. We are protecting the core functions of the university."
However, while university academics hold strong, the university's facilities won't fare as well; $3.2 million - the lion's share of the university's required cuts - will come from budgeted expenditures in deferred maintenance and major repairs.
In other words, renovations and facility updates are now on hold.
Physical improvements to the campus were a high priority of the new administration, and Bill Crist, director of the university's physical plant, said that the cuts won't deter the university from that goal.
"These cuts don't stop our work, it just slows them down," he said. "Our goal is always to maximize every penny we can. Now, we just have fewer pennies."
Crist said that planned major renovations, like renovations to the student union, are now postponed until the financial situation brightens. But Crist said that several improvements that were desired by the new administration - like the washing program and the sidewalk improvements - have been completed and that already-contracted projects will continue regardless of the cuts.
The new budget numbers also spell tighter financial times for information technology and research initiatives, as well as various outreach services of the university. These programs face a 4.62 percent reduction, affecting centers like the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise and the Cecil Picard Center for Child Development.
Henry Florsheim, chief executive officer of the LITE Center, said that center will see a $147,000 budget cut. While the center won't experience any layoffs, Florsheim said that reductions would likely come from areas like staff training, business development, marketing and new staff hires.
And while the cuts are sure to affect the work of the center, they also will have an impact on the community, as well.
"We may have to hold off on filling a couple of key positions," Florsheim said. "We're still in the process of building our team and technical infrastructure, and unfortunately, any budget cut will affect how well we are able to deliver on our mission of economic development."
University athletics will also face a 4.62 percent budget cut, travel will be reduced by $200,000 and supplies will be trimmed by $100,000.
These numbers are far from insignificant, but they are less than originally projected late last year when early reports had higher education shouldering a $109 million budget cut, $7 million of which was slated to come from UL.
But while Savoie is satisfied with the plan that's been presented for the budget cuts, he notes that the university won't be alone in feeling their effects.
"The university is about to spend over $4 million less in this community," Savoie said. "That means we won't be buying the new AC system or the new piping system. The maintenance work we're not going to do means there are local companies not getting that business.
"What's happened is that they've taken $4.3 million out of Lafayette's economy."
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