NAU's share of state budget cut: $2.2 million

The Arizona Board of Regents voted to trim Northern Arizona University's current budget by about $2.2 million, about 1.3 percent.

Regents voted during their Friday session in Tucson after the state Legislature directed the board to trim $14.7 million from the university system as well as $875,000 from ABOR operating expenses.

"Northern Arizona University has been diligent about conserving resources since it became clear that the state was experiencing revenue shortfalls," said NAU President John Haeger. "Every area on campus has participated by delaying new hires and forgoing travel and expenditures."

The university has been instructed to trim its FY08 funds by $2.17 million and will meet the new budget in several ways:

• reduce the budgets in each vice presidential area
• rely on increased funding related to enrollment growth
• postpone purchases of certain technology, such as new office computers
• change or delay hiring decisions
• postpone some capital project bonding
• return a small portion of the health professions funds that were not fully expended this year
• return a small portion of the new funding related to student retention initiatives that will not be fully implemented until FY09

"We are doing our part to help the state recover from this economic downturn," Haeger said. "We have closely examined our budget to strategically trim spending while maintaining the educational experience we provide to our students."

Haeger noted that the health professions measures are one-time adjustments and will have to be restored in the FY09 budget, which takes effect July 1. The projected shortfall for the state's '09 budget is expected to be close to $2 billion.

"I need to emphasize, these reductions are for the current-year budget," he said. "In all likelihood, we will have more difficult decisions to make once our FY09 budget is finalized."

The regents also voted to trim Arizona State University's budget by $11.8 million, or 2.4 percent, and the University of Arizona's budget by $11.2 million, or 2.5 percent.