Arizona Universities: More than 2,900 positions eliminated as a result of cuts - Molly Kissler and Sarah Macdonald - Phoenix Business Journal

Arizona’s budget for higher education has been slashed in the past two years, leaving the state’s universities and community colleges struggling to find ways to shore up their finances. Since the recession began in 2007, the three state universities’ budgets collectively have been cut by more than 18.5 percent, or $230 million. Despite those cuts, the Arizona Legislature actually has increased the total amount of funding to Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University by 9.6 percent overall in the past five years — from $812 million in 2005 to $898 million in 2009.