UA president pushes back against proposed budget cuts - Suzanna Caldwell, Alaska Dispatch

The University of Alaska president is pushing back against proposed budget cuts he says would have major impacts on the university system. In a press conference Tuesday, UA President Jim Johnsen criticized budget cuts proposed by Rep. Tammie Wilson, R-North Pole, last week. : Wilson proposed dropping the university budget to $288 million at a budget subcommittee of the House Finance Committee. The proposed budget has enough money for student instruction and athletics but eliminates funding for research and outreach, like cooperative extension programs and the marine advisory program. Wilson’s proposal is far less than the governor’s proposed budget of $335 million for the university system, which is already a 4.5 percent decrease from last year. http://www.adn.com/article/20160223/ua-president-pushes-back-against-proposed-budget-cuts