University Hanging On Through State Budget Cuts
In case you missed it, the Oregonian had a big Sunday story on how the state university system is weathering the tough economic times. The short answer: not so good. The Oregon University System had its budget slashed by 9 percent across the board, causing colleges to raise tuition, cut classes and consolidate other classes.
According to the article, the University of Oregon raised it’s tuition by more than any of the other seven schools in the system; its up 15 percent from last fall.
The good news is that the extra income from tuition, as well as increased enrollment, is saving the UO from taking the more drastic measures that other schools are. PSU is cutting faculty salaries and taking five extra days off, and OSU is trimming its course offerings by 20 percent.
Nevertheless, enrollment won’t grow at this rate forever, and raising tuition isn’t a magic bullet. As University president Richard Lariviere said in the article:
“We’re managing, but we’re just basically hanging on by our fingernails to preserve that quality,” said UO’s new president, Richard Lariviere. “The model that we are working under right now is not sustainable.”
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