From Staff Reports

Impending budget cuts could include staff furloughs and layoffs of temporary employees, UNC Asheville Chancellor Anne Ponder stated in a letter she recently sent to the university’s faculty and staff.

The early January letter was sent in response to a December memorandum from Tom Ross, president of the University of North Carolina system. He had asked that universities slash expenses by 2.5 percent for the remainder of the budget year.

What’s more, Ross requested that the members of the university system prepare a budget for next year that includes a 15 percent spending reduction.

Ponder described the situation as one of the greatest challenges of this generation for legislators and citizens.

In the fall, Gov. Bev Perdue told state agencies, including UNC system universities, to prepare budgets with 5 and 10 percent reductions in their state appropriations for fiscal 2011-12. Ross’ request demands even more belt-tightening for UNCA and other colleges and agencies.

In a letter to university chancellors, Ross stated, “If the currently projected $3.7 billion budget deficit in the state’s $19 billion budget is closed through reductions alone applied on the across-the-board basis, all agency and institutional budgets would need to be reduced 19.5 percent.”

In the aftermath, Ross asked for 15 percent reductions. Such cuts in area universities would amount to $21.3 million at Appalachian State University; $13 million at Western Carolina University; and $6 million at UNCA.