This time it is another $3.05 million, or 6.3 percent of Western’s $131 million operating budget for 2010-11. The budget, which funds some financial aid, academic departments and faculty and staff, has already been downsized by more than $50 million for the 2009-11 biennium.

“We’ll be announcing cuts to programs with extremely high quality,” Western President Bruce Shepard said. “They’re not at the core undergraduate mission of the university, but they’re things we’re known for.”

Shepard said he could not say exactly what those cuts may be because he has not seen them in writing yet from different administrators compiling suggested cuts, but it will include layoffs, and more programs may be cut.

Shepard issued a statement Sept. 16 outlining what a quarter of the cuts to programs and services might look like. The rest of the potential cuts will be announced and further information released on Monday, Sept. 27.

The cuts ride the heels of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s announcement on Sept. 16 of a damning financial forecast that projects a $520 million deficit for Washington state’s 2010-11 budget. Gregoire has asked most state departments to cut the same 6.3 percent from their budgets, effective Oct. 1.

Vice presidents and deans at Western have until Friday to submit their proposals. Officials will then work all weekend to draft a proposal for cuts, Shepard said. As the year goes on, the cuts will become deeper, he said.

In the statement released Sept. 16, Shepard lists some steps already underway at Western:

•    The elimination of 14 academic programs where admission has been suspended because of low enrollment, including a number of masters and general science programs. Twelve others are being considered for elimination or suspension.

•    Further restricting admissions to winter and spring quarters for the entire university.

•    Reducing the award of new tuition waivers for winter and spring quarters by $250,000. This cut in financial aid will not harm current students with waived tuition.

•    Western cut five full-time employees from Print Services, but through a partnership with Whatcom Community College were able to maintain the same service. Other partnerships with different entities are being considered and will be made public Monday.

•    Western leases buildings off campus, totaling 41,000 square feet of space. A number of these leases may be ended and the units therein brought to campus. Shepard said it might be more crowded on campus, but that the move will save money.

“There will be lots of complaints about everything we’re doing because people are going to be crowded and they’re used to having more facilities,” Shepard said. “In these times, being a little bit crowded is less of a concern than having classes for students.”

Last month, Gregoire warned state agencies about these additional
cuts, so Western is prepared for them, Shepard said.

“The cuts are not surprises to us,” he said. “We long ago saw that funding was not going to go back to where it was.”

Shepard said Western continues to plan for even more cuts in the coming months and years. He said the university’s first goal during budget cuts is to protect quality undergraduate education.

The second goal is to protect high-quality programs that are at the core of undergraduate study, while the third goal is to protect employees.

Shepard said there are 150 fewer employees or positions this year, and with this round of cuts, the second goal of protecting high-quality programs will go “by the wayside.”

“We’re going up the list of priorities,” he said.