The Waiting Game

didn't realize the damage already being dealt to the University.

"I knew there was a problem, but I didn't know the University itself was making cuts," Edwards said.

She might just now be familiarizing herself with the state's budget deficit, but the issue

has had campus leaders worried all summer about how students like Edwards will be affected

when they begin classes today.

Classrooms might be a little more crowded, and lines at Davis Library might be a little longer -- just some of the more visible effects of what officials have been dreading for months. And it's not over.

As lawmakers in Raleigh work to mend the $2 billion hole in the state's budget -- a process that has now spilled over almost two months into the new fiscal year -- the University is in an awkward situation.

Officials began planning for the worst in May, when Gov. Mike Easley proposed a 5 percent cut to the state's universities. They have been discussing preliminary cuts since then.

But with students now in class -- and no state budget in sight -- University leaders are stuck waiting for action before any additional cuts can be made.

Campus officials believe students will begin to see subtle effects of the state's budget crisis immediately -- and until legislators craft a spending plan, the final blow to UNC this year remains up in the air.

A Sound Game Plan

As students were wrapping up their final exams and heading home last semester, the University was hard at work.

Three months after Easley's budget announcement -- which clearly articulated that universities would bear a portion of the state's woes -- both the state Senate and House have passed spending plans that outline different cuts to UNC.

The Senate plan calls for a 2.4 percent permanent cut to UNC, the House a 3 percent cut. Chancellor James Moeser has said UNC naturally prefers the Senate version but more so because the House plan proposes additional reductions not in the form of permanent cuts.

But in May, UNC's deans and department chairmen were instructed to anticipate 5 percent reductions. Since then, individual campus sectors have been planning for the worst.

Departments across campus already have made cuts where they can, eliminating course sections, lecturers and whatever items can be trimmed.

Until the House and the Senate devise a compromise spending plan for this fiscal year, the provost's office -- where all final cuts on campus will eventually be reported -- won't know the exact impact on UNC.

For the College of Arts and Sciences, which constitutes about 70 percent of UNC's undergraduate education, figuring out where to shave the budget has been a daunting task. "It's hard to come up with $4.5 million, especially when most of that money is made up of people," said Risa Palm, dean of the college.

Palm said about 20 to 25 vacant positions likely will be eliminated this year, roughly the size of a medium-sized academic department.

Administrators have tried to make the process easier by levying a certain amount of autonomy to department chairmen and deans in deciding where to modify the budget. No across-the-board cuts are being mandated from the top down.

Palm is confident those department chairmen reporting to her appreciate the process. "I figure a department will know better if it needs to cut positions, supplies, travel, better than I do here," she said.

When a state budget is passed -- which some say could happen in the next couple of weeks -- all cuts will be reviewed by the provost's office, and adjustments will be made from there.

"What no one has here is a definite budget," said Provost Robert Shelton. "What we have are folks who took early decisions, which is good. Once we get the numbers, we'll address it from there."

Pinching Pennies

Deputy University Librarian Larry Alford is worried students might get frustrated when they go to Davis Library.

Despite budget cuts, the library will not reduce its hours -- it's just that students might have to wait longer for help while they're there.

"One thing students are going to notice are larger lines," Alford said. About 20 percent of vacant positions in circulation will be left vacant until a state budget is passed, he explained.

Not to mention that on the UNC Libraries Web site is a list of more than 900 serials that could be cut when the state takes action. A reduction in spending for other books -- possibly 10,000 to 15,000 fewer books -- could leave a large gap in the collection, Alford noted.

Students won't just see the effects of the state's fiscal woes in the library -- they'll feel it in the classroom too, in the form of larger classes.

Many departments have had to cut course sections from popular classes offered, and some have even had to cut lecturing positions.

James Thompson, chairman of the English department, said that although preliminary cuts were inevitable, it has been a priority to not impact introductory writing classes.

Because 10 course sections and about 1.5 lecturer positions were axed, smaller classes typically for sophomores and upperclassmen will be somewhat more crowded, Thompson said. "I'm sure we'll rebound from it in the long term, but there won't be any rebounding until the legislature passes a budget," he said. "We can't go on like this."

Officials insist that they are trying to preserve resources where they can, but layoffs have been unavoidable.

According to data provided by University officials, as of July 10, 64 employees subject to the State Personnel Act were laid off, although only 23 of those were directly attributable to state budget cuts. The other layoffs resulted from different causes, like contracts or grants ending for those positions.

For UNC employees exempt from the act, one non-faculty and two faculty members were eliminated by July 10 for budget reasons. Two other privately funded faculty positions were eliminated due to lacking funds, and one faculty position is gone because of a contract or grant ending.

Laurie Charest, associate vice chancellor for human resources, said students will see results of these actions in various ways, including reduced cleaning frequency in the residence halls.

"I am certain that we will see a difference in services," she said. "We can't sustain levels of that amount -- it's a very frustrating position. Because departments don't know what their budgets will be ... I think it is entirely possible we will see additional layoffs."

The human resources office on campus is in fact recruiting employees, Charest added, but vacant positions can't be filled until legislators finish their work. "Because of the condition of the economy in general, we are getting lots of applications for positions that are open," she said. "But there still is uncertainty."

Looking Ahead

The wait for a budget has begun, but planning is not on the back burner.

The University already has established a five-year financial planning committee, headed by Nancy Suttenfield, vice chancellor for finance and administration. The group is charged with crafting a comprehensive plan for financial growth, given the unpredictability of the economy and funding for higher education.

In the meantime, campus leaders don't want the wrong perception toward UNC's budget crunch to arise.

"You have to put budget cuts into context," Moeser said. "These budget cuts are painful, but they're not going to be crippling. We could really be dramatizing the situation to say we'd be crippled."

Administrators say dealing with the cuts is just a matter of assessing possible long-term impact. "I don't want to sugar-coat it," Shelton said of budget cuts. "The key is to not have this persist."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.