The state budget deficit, which will likely lead to large cuts in financial support for higher education, has university officials thinking about ways to reduce spending, and faculty and staff worried about losing their jobs.

“At this point, all we know is there is a potential out there for cuts and they could be large,” said Rodd Freitag, associate professor of political science. “That is kind of a scary prospect.”

With the budget deficit predicted to be between $2.6 and $4 billion, the UW System is expecting cuts again this year. Last year, the Budget Repair Bill cut the UW System budget by $44 million, which meant UW-Eau Claire was cut $1.5 million for this academic year, and $500,000 last year.

“With the commitment the governor-elect and others have made to not raise taxes, we know there will have to be some spending reductions,” Vice-Chancellor Andrew Soll said, “and we anticipate the university will be expected to share in the reduction.”

Although budget cuts won’t be announced until June, Soll said Eau Claire is trying to estimate what the cuts might be and prepare for them accordingly. The UW System is estimating a 5-percent reduction of the state’s funded base, which would amount to $49.5 million. A rough estimation for Eau Claire then would be a reduction of $2.3 million.

“If the budget cuts are as deep as some say they might be, we won’t have many choices,” Chancellor Donald Mash said. “The university’s budget is about 85 percent personnel and deep cuts would mean we’d have to reduce faculty and staff.”

Freitag said many departments are trying to fill open positions, and he knows those positions won’t be an option to fill if the budget cuts are severe.

“If we go through a few years in a row like that,” Freitag said, “all of a sudden we have a lot fewer faculty to teach all the same students all the same classes. So it just creates a burden for faculty.”

Mash met with regional legislatures and with UW-Stout and UW-River Falls chancellors Thursday to advocate support for the UW system.

“We tried to show them why any support that could come to the university would be important for Wisconsin,” Mash said.

In preparation for the cuts, freshmen enrollment for the fall of 2003 will be reduced by 85 students. Mash said he anticipates another tuition increase as well.

“When the state cuts our budget, the only option we have if we want to keep programs and services in place, and not reduce enrollment, is to raise tuition,” Mash said.

Soll said that Eau Claire is continually looking for ways to get greater efficiency and effectiveness out of their resources.

“The budget problem is an economic problem and the university system can be a part of the solution,” Mash said. “But we can’t be part of the solution if we don’t get some support, some investment by the state.”