MSU Considers How to Deal with Budget Cuts
US - Mississippi State University (MSU) is forced to consider options that include merging two colleges and nine departments and eliminating 17 degree programmes in response to state funding cuts.
18 February 2010
2 minute read
According to NEMS360, MSU has already seen its state funding cut by 8.6 per cent for the current fiscal year. It is anticipating bigger cuts over the next two years that could result in the 2012 budget being 23 per cent below the budget was to begin this year. If that happens, the university may lose as much as $47 million from 2009 to 2012.
MSU President, Mark Keenum, said: "I needed to have ideas and recommendations for efficiency and savings across our campus. It is a very serious issue for us."
In response, he formed a 33-member committee in October to recommend savings from both academic and non-academic areas. That committee released its report on 17 February with 59 recommendations.
Among these recommendations is a merger between the College of Forest Resources and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It also called for the merger of several departments, including Animal and Dairy Science and Poultry Science.
