Oregon University System fights state legislature to prevent budget cuts - SAM STITES, Daily Emerald

The Oregon University System is currently lobbying the state legislature to not make any more budget cuts this session past the 3.5 percent already set aside by the state, but growing disinvestment in higher education may lead to more cuts. “These cuts have a direct negative impact on the students,” said OUS official Di Saunders . “We cannot afford to continue in that direction.” Saunders said that the OUS is not on a list of $4 million worth of possible cuts drafted by Gov. John Kitzhaber, but it is not off the table for the legislature to make cuts. “We’re at risk of losing a lot of students out of our system,” Saunders said. “We are pushing to get the legislature to understand that.”