Thursday, November 16, 2017

WSU should handle its own finances, senator says - FORREST HOLT, Evergreen

WSU will likely have to handle its budget woes without assistance from the state government. Sen. Mark Schoesler, who was the state’s senate majority leader until Tuesday’s elections, said he had not seen any indication from lawmakers or university officials that the state government would intervene to dull the impact of spending cuts. In a late October email, University President Kirk Schulz announced system-wide spending cuts of 2.5 percent in an attempt to reign in WSU’s $30 million deficit. Measures intended to reduce spending have included eliminating the Performing Arts program, allowing five contracts to expire for retention counselors in Multicultural Student Services and requesting colleges keep vacant positions open as long as possible, despite the administration seeking to fill its own open positions. Schulz has said the university should be able to begin restoring its reserve balance after cutting spending by $10 million for three fiscal years in a row. https://dailyevergreen.com/21173/news/university-to-budget-without-state/