Officials have imposed a hiring freeze for most positions and are looking at other areas in which to cut spending, such as travel. Those moves come in response to a directive by state officials for all public universities to prepare for 10-percent cuts in state support in the two-year budget period that starts in the fall of 2011. Universities have already cut 5 percent from their general revenue budgets for the 2010-11 academic year. Source.

The system president has asked campus chancellors to prepare plans for absorbing an expected 23-percent cut in their state support next year. Source.

An advisory panel has issued a report that recommends 43 cost-cutting steps to save nearly $60-million. Suggestions include maximizing the university's purchasing power, centralizing information-technology functions, and reviewing a number of higher-level administrative jobs, including those of vice presidents and vice chancellors, with a view toward combining or eliminating some of those positions. Source.

Will recommend closing bachelor's-degree programs in chemistry, chemistry education, heritage resources, journalism, physics, physics education, political science, and sociology, along with several minors and concentrations, because of low enrollment or low performance, as part of efforts to deal with expected budget cuts from the state of $10-million to $15-million. Source.

Plans to cut 68 nonfaculty positions university-wide to save $5.2-million in the 2011 fiscal year, but 40 percent of the posts are already vacant, 40 percent will be moved to a different university unit where they could continue, and 20 percent will allow current employees to move to another university job, so there will be no layoffs. Source.

Will cut 17 full-time and intermittent positions when printing-services and office-supply operations on the Starkville campus end, on August 1. Source.

Announced the elimination or freezing of 10 administrative and 15 noninstructional positions, including five layoffs, after only 24 employees accepted incentives to retire. Source.

Plans to eliminate its French and French education bachelor's-degree programs, merge its foreign language and literature department with its communication department, and lay off three tenured professors as part of efforts to deal with state budget cuts. Source.

Proposed cutting 16 degree programs, including an undergraduate major in Italian and master's degree programs in applied art history, physical education, and religious studies. The board of trustees is scheduled to vote on the proposal on June 25. Source.

Has laid off 23 administrative and support staff members and will let five faculty positions that are open remain vacant. Source.