2008 Woodie Awards
With decrease in state aid, University looks at scenarios to fix budget
Andy Blais
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News
04/10/08 - The budget crisis hitting Rhode Island has trickled down to the University of Rhode Island and the administration plans yet-to-be-determined drastic budget cuts next year.
Fiscal year 2009, which starts July 1, will see state aid fall to $65 million, $9 million less than the $74 million URI received this year.
"Everyone out there is working on scenarios," said Linda Barrett, Director of Budget and Financial Planning. The different scenarios reach every division of the university, including academics, student life and administration.
Barrett said that the cuts won't be small cuts across the board, which has happened continuously as the state has given smaller and smaller appropriations. Instead, this year there will be deeper reductions. Already, athletics faces an $800,000 cut and Student Life is preparing to slash $465,000 from its budget.
URI will see more revenue by raising tuition and mandatory fees for out-of-state students by 7.5 percent to $24,252 and in-state students by 6 percent to $8,168. Room and board for university housing will also go up by 5 percent. But, administrators said, the school will still struggle.
"Next year we will have more money than we have this year, we just won't have enough money," Barrett said.
Division leaders like Provost Donald H. DeHayes, Vice President for Administration Robert Weygand, Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn and Vice President of Student Life Thomas Dougan will brief President Robert L. Carothers on the scenarios between April 18 and April 30. The president will have a decision by the first week of May and the cuts will take effect on July 1.
"Sometimes these budget challenges present possibilities," DeHayes said. "Sometimes you need a little bit of a crisis to pull everyone together."
DeHayes, who started his job full time this week, has begun to review scenarios for academic cuts.
"The first approach we are looking for is how we can better build synergies between departments," DeHayes said.
Fiscal year 2009, which starts July 1, will see state aid fall to $65 million, $9 million less than the $74 million URI received this year.
"Everyone out there is working on scenarios," said Linda Barrett, Director of Budget and Financial Planning. The different scenarios reach every division of the university, including academics, student life and administration.
Barrett said that the cuts won't be small cuts across the board, which has happened continuously as the state has given smaller and smaller appropriations. Instead, this year there will be deeper reductions. Already, athletics faces an $800,000 cut and Student Life is preparing to slash $465,000 from its budget.
URI will see more revenue by raising tuition and mandatory fees for out-of-state students by 7.5 percent to $24,252 and in-state students by 6 percent to $8,168. Room and board for university housing will also go up by 5 percent. But, administrators said, the school will still struggle.
"Next year we will have more money than we have this year, we just won't have enough money," Barrett said.
Division leaders like Provost Donald H. DeHayes, Vice President for Administration Robert Weygand, Athletic Director Thorr Bjorn and Vice President of Student Life Thomas Dougan will brief President Robert L. Carothers on the scenarios between April 18 and April 30. The president will have a decision by the first week of May and the cuts will take effect on July 1.
"Sometimes these budget challenges present possibilities," DeHayes said. "Sometimes you need a little bit of a crisis to pull everyone together."
DeHayes, who started his job full time this week, has begun to review scenarios for academic cuts.
"The first approach we are looking for is how we can better build synergies between departments," DeHayes said.