The University of Wyoming says reductions in staffing and student support are among the scenarios they are considering if the legislature decides to cut its budget this year.
U-W and other state agencies have been asked to explain what reductions of two, five and eight percent would mean to their budgets. At the high end, U-W President Tom Buchanan says the cuts would be severe. In the two percent scenario, Buchanan says reductions not connected to academics would be made. But he admits that will change if the cuts are more than that.
Buchanan: “There is broad agreement that we are first and foremost an educational institution with a responsibility for undergraduate and graduate education. And when you start to see reductions in our educational programs, you know that we have already worked our way through other areas.”
Buchanan says budget cuts could also hurt their ability to attract top flight faculty.
Buchanan: “As reductions and budget cuts impact the University, over time we will stop looking less and less like someplace special and more and more like every other public institution out there that is struggling with its budget. “
Buchanan says the hope is that they can make reductions without impacting academic programs, but he says if the legislature cuts eight percent from the U-W budget, every program will face a reduction. He says they would also eventually need to consider revenue raising measures. U-W will present its budget and possible cuts to the Joint Appropriations Committee next month.