The University of Connecticut is preparing to make "deep and significant cuts" in response to the governor's 2016-2017 budget, which slashes funding to the university by $10 million and deals a similar blow to other state schools.
“We will need to take the time to determine what the specific impacts may be, but managing a reduction of that size will necessitate deep and significant cuts throughout the university. Any cost-cutting will be guided by one key principle: protecting teaching quality, research advances, and overall academic excellence,” UConn President Susan Herbst said in a statement Wednesday after the governor unveiled his biennial budget.
University spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said the school has been allocated $219 million, $10 million less than for the current fiscal year and "$40 million less than the amount of state funding necessary to operate the University in the coming year."
Connecticut State Colleges and Universities President Gregory Gray called Malloy's budget "a tough one" and said the Board of Regents for Higher Education will be taking a close look at the numbers.
"We don’t yet know its full impact, and we are in the process of reviewing options to develop our plans going forward. However, throughout this process all of our efforts will be focused on minimizing the impact of this reduction on students as well as on the instructional process," Gray said in a statement Wednesday.
He added that the board aims to maintain a "higher education system that is accessible and affordable" and will work closely with the legislature to develop a plan.
A full copy of the governor's budget is available online.
