UW submits proposed 8-percent budget cuts to Governor Mead

 The University of Wyoming says it will have to cut positions as part of its eight-percent budget cut sent to Gov. Matt Mead this week. 

The governor requested the proposed cuts because of concerns about a reduction in revenue due to falling gas prices.  They are for the budget that begins in July of 2013.  University Spokesman Chad Baldwin says with 75 percent of U-W’s budget tied to salaries, he says they have no choice but to cut some positions.

 “ That equates about to 80 to 125 positions, specifically how many jobs that will be actually depends upon who leaves the University in the next year.  If it’s a resignation, a retirement or whatever, that position will be scrutinized to determine if we need to keep it or not. ” 

For now, Baldwin says U-W decided against cutting programs.

“We have not specified programs at this point for a couple of reasons.  One of them quite frankly is that we don’t know if we will have to cut by 8 percent, we don’t know if we will have to cut by any amount.  And if we were to identify any specific programs right now we would cause undo alarm and maybe harm programs needlessly. ”

U-W will need to cut about 15-point-7 million dollars from its budget.  Non-personnel cuts will be spread across the campus.