The University of Oregon is offering more details about how it plans to cut $65 million from its budget as it weathers declining out-of-state enrollment and other trends impacting higher education.
In a briefing for reporters Tuesday, UO Provost Chris Long said a group, the Academic Modification Advisory Committee, representing a variety of disciplines will review enrollment, outcomes, and other data from academic programs.
He said numbers alone will not determine what’s under consideration for cuts.
"We're not going to just set targets from a data standpoint,” Long said. “We're going to have to look at this holistically. We have to deliver on a broad liberal arts education. That means we're going to have to continue to teach a wide variety of things."
Long said the committee’s work is confidential right now, but a budget proposal will be released and available for public feedback in October.
Long said the public might hear about potential cuts over the next few months, but no final decisions will be made until December.
“There is going to be uncertainty, there is going to be anxiety, there is going to be rumors,” he said. “There’s going to be all these things out there and that’s understandable. It's just part of the decision making process we’re going through.”
This round of budget reductions comes after UO’s Board of Trustees cut 176 positions, or $29 million, earlier this summer.
Jamie Moffitt, the university's senior vice president for finance and administration, said the University of Oregon’s budget has for years relied on revenue from non-resident students to make up for low state-government contributions. In an typical year, roughly 2,400 non-resident students enroll. This year, it’s about 1,900 students, fewer than during the pandemic.
Moffitt said the decline in international students amidst changes in immigration policy at the federal level has indirectly impacted UO. Other schools that previously relied on international students to supplement their income are now competing directly with UO to recruit domestic, out-of-state students.
Moffitt said while the Board of Trustees is scheduled to decide on a budget plan in December, the impacts might not be felt immediately.
“It’s difficult to cut quickly,” Moffitt said. “For many of our employee groups we have notice periods that can be a year. If you're looking at folks who are retiring, they might not retire for two or three years. If you're looking at program impacts, you might have even longer timelines."
She said the university has also not yet set an end date for its hiring, or pay increase freeze, but will likely have more clarity once more budget details are finalized.
