Prepare for the worst: University and student leaders must prepare now for the largest of possible budget cuts

The combination of a sluggish economy and a shift in power at the General Assembly means the UNC system will certainly experience budget cuts.

The new conservative legislature would rather combat the nearly $4 billion deficit that the state currently faces by lowering spending than raising taxes. Surely, some of these reductions will come at the University’s expense.

In the shadow of uncertainty over the form of the cuts, the University needs to be fully prepared for the worst possible outcomes.

The seriousness of the situation is not lost on the administration. Yet, little has been done to prepare for cuts above 10 percent, even though that scenario is hardly off the table.

The severity of the potential cuts cannot be understated. As today’s front page indicates, the system-wide budget has been cut $575 million over the past three years. An additional $405 million could be cut next year alone.

According to Provost Bruce Carney, the University “cannot absorb cuts this deep without making some major changes in the University and its missions.”

Provost Bruce Carney has already met with deans and vice chancellors to discuss the impacts of 5 percent and 10 percent cuts.

Carney said planning for this prospective change is not slated to start until March. But clearly it needs to begin sooner. And the fact that these cuts would have severe effects is all the more reason to begin preparation now.

By cutting more in some areas than others, the University plans to minimize the impact of the cuts.

By articulating now what fifteen percent cuts would mean, the University would thus be prepared to minimize the damage.

Right now, 15 percent is just a figure. But determining precisely the effects of that figure will also be vital in demonstrating its severity to the legislature.

And just as the administration needs to begin preparing for the worst, students leaders ought to be on the front lines of the budget battle. The Association of Student Governments especially has a role to play in communicating to the legislature the importance of preserving funding.

All system leaders, both students and administrators, should wait no longer to start finding the optimal means of preserving everything that makes UNC great should the most severe cuts ?materialize.