In testimony submitted to state legislators Tuesday, UConn President Susan Herbst said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed budget cuts to the state’s flagship university will have a devastating impact on operations, teaching and research.
Herbst said in her testimony to the Appropriations Committee — which is weighing Malloy’s proposed two year, $40 million budget — that the cuts would create a roughly $40 million gap in the amount of funding the state school needs to operate next year.
Malloy’s budget has proposed a $27.7 million reduction to UConn’s block grant next fiscal year and a $28.7 million reduction the following year, among other funding reductions.
Herbst said UConn, which funded 29 percent of its budget with public money this year, would be forced to reduce its workforce, implement furlough days, reduce financial aid, close academic departments and programs in Storrs and its regional campuses, and end certain degree programs.
The school maintains funds for its debt payments, faculty laboratories and capital needs, but those fund balances have fallen by one-third since 2012 as the university has sought to close deficits.
UConn’s available funds would only cover 28 days of operations, Herbst said.
She said she does not plan to ask UConn trustees to approve a mid-year tuition or fee hike to help close the anticipated deficit.
