The university is expecting the state to cut its budget for the third time since July before the end of the month, university President Dan Mote said, adding that state lawmakers have not ruled out a fourth cut in the spring.
Mote said he feared this month's budget cut could be more than $100 million for the University System of Maryland and $40 million for this university, close to equaling to the past two reductions combined.
But Joe Vivona, the system's vice chancellor for administration and finance, said the university system hadn't gotten any notification from the state that its budget was under threat, and in previous weeks, System Chancellor Brit Kirwan said he had been told the 13 public universities he oversees would be spared in this round of budget cuts.
The state is facing a $300 million revenue shortfall and is expected to announce budget reductions at a semimonthly Board of Public Works meeting Wednesday. The board is responsible for the budget when the state legislature isn't in session.
Despite assurances from the state, Mote said it was unlikely the university system could be saved from the cuts.
"There will be another one this month, we expect," Mote said. "No actions have been taken [at the state level], but the expectation for the 2010 budget is short."
During the summer, the university's budget was cut twice by a total of $52 million with the money coming from cash reserves, the operating budget and furloughs, according to numbers provided by Mote. During the past two years, the university's budget cuts have totaled more than $86 million.
Mote also said the university is making plans to deal with a possible fourth budget cut for this fiscal year sometime in the spring. The revenue projections for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2010, are so dire the state might decide to cut in the spring to lessen the impact of an enormous cut in the summer, he said.
Mote noted the economy was improving, but said he didn't expect it would improve enough by the spring to avoid another cut in the spring. However, the budget reduction might be lessened, he said.
"We will deal with this in the same way we have currently," Mote said. "It's a very hard business. How do you get through circumstances causing the least amount of damage?"
Provost Nariman Farvardin, Vice President for Administrative Affairs Ann Wylie and Vice President for Student Affairs Linda Clement have all created plans to deal with the impact of another budget cut. All three declined to share those plans with the public, saying they didn't want to scare members of the university community who might not be aware their jobs are under threat.
Although deans and heads of services such as the Health Center have been able to avoid massive layoffs by simply not hiring new employees when old ones leave, they would be forced to more extreme measures with a third budget cut, officials said.
Vivona said he didn't want to speculate on whether the university system would get another cut, saying he didn't want to give the state any ideas.
"To date we have not been told of the next cuts," he said. "That's not to say that we aren't going to get a word. Like everybody, we hear these rumors as well. The minute I found out, I would let you know."
Vivona also disputed the idea of a fourth cut in the spring, saying budget cuts late in a fiscal year are rare.
cwells at umdbk dot com
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And, finally, state employees are NOT getting raises.
State employees ARE getting laid off.
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