The University of South Florida may soon follow in the footsteps of the University of Florida, which last week implemented a hiring freeze to deal with a projected deficit of $30-million, according to an article in The Oracle, USF’s daily student newspaper.
Florida universities are in a budget crunch because Governor Charlie Crist vetoed a 5-percent tuition increase for the coming year, and the State Legislature changed the way it funds the institutions.
An expected shortfall of $44- to $66-million is leading USF’s administration to consider budget cuts — a move that could result in larger classes, a cap on merit-based scholarship awards, and a reduction in the availability of nonessential services. More drastic measures — “capping enrollment at its current level, a hiring freeze and moving more classes to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule” — are reportedly also being discussed, the reporter Joshua Neiderer writes:
If USF faces a 10 percent cut, the budget shortfall will jump to $66 million, which will dig into the University’s base budget — forcing administrators to consider even more dramatic cuts, including layoffs as a last resort.
“Base budget is the financial heart and soul of the institution, that’s what makes this exercise so potentially different,” Vice Provost Dwayne Smith said. “We’ve been faced with budget cuts before, though 10 percent is the extreme, we’ve never been faced with a number like that before.”
Administrators at USF will continue to evaluate cost-cutting options through Tuesday, when the Board of Governors will convene to discuss statewide cuts, said [Provost Renu] Khator.
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