Cuts at Southern Miss: Bennett says it's 'difficult to predict the future' - Ellen Ciurczak, Clarion Ledger

University of Southern Mississippi President Rodney Bennett has outlined a series of cost-cutting measures he will take to further manage a nearly $8 million budget reduction the school suffered since Fiscal Year 2017. In a Thursday email to faculty and staff, Bennett said 20 staff employees will be laid off, select unfilled positions will be eliminated, and cuts will be made to travel, operating, commodities and equipment budgets. "(U)nfortunately, we must ... reduce the number of employees, the most difficult action that must be taken," Bennett wrote. "This decision is reached after careful deliberation and weighing all other options to bring expenditures in line with current revenue." Earlier this year, the university revealed it was receiving $7.96 million less in education and general appropriations funding from the state — a 9.78 percent cut to the school's $73.4 million budget for FY 2018. At that time, it laid off three staffers and eliminated another 33 vacant positions — 17 faculty and 16 staff. http://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/education/usm/2017/11/06/cuts-southern-miss-bennett-says-its-difficult-predict-future/835380001/