State funding cut by $10.2M - Johnathan Silver, The Shorthorn

UTA will receive $10.2 million less in state funding for operations during the next two years. The university will get $89.4 million each for the next two fiscal years, from Sept. 1, 2011 to Aug. 31, 2013. The university administration is reviewing the budget Gov. Rick Perry signed Friday to see in detail what dollars UTA has to work with. Under the initial budget proposal for UTA, the institution would have received $78.5 million for the next fiscal year and $78.6 million for the fiscal year beginning in 2012. “The university is very pleased that the reduced funding wasn’t more severe,” university spokeswoman Kristin Sullivan said. UTA took steps to save money by offering voluntary separation programs beginning in spring 2010 to university employees. In May, 27 faculty members accepted a voluntary separation program, taking $2.9 million off the annual payroll. Such initiatives helped absorb the expected shortfall in state funding, Sullivan said.