In a letter to donors and alumni, UConn President Susan Herbst Thursday warned of an impending hiring freeze, a delay in major construction projects and layoffs as a result of the recently passed state budget, which trims funding to the state’s flagship university by $143 million over two years.
In an email sent via the UConn Foundation, the school’s fundraising arm, Herbst also said the budget cuts would lead to reduced services and a restructuring of the of the school’s administrative functions and departments.
“If the reductions in this budget become law, I will work with our faculty, staff and board of trustees as we continue to take steps to protect our core academic mission,” Herbst wrote in the email. “Managing budget reductions is painful, but straightforward; there is no hidden financial resource we can tap and there is no non-specific ‘fat’ or other low-hanging fruit that can be eliminated to solve our problems. Nor can the university simply turn to philanthropy or external grants to shore up our operating budget. Those funds cannot legally be used for that purpose.”
The $41.3 billion bipartisan state budget was passed by veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate earlier this week, potentially ending a months-long stalemate. It still needs the signature of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
In her email, Herbst stressed the need to protect UConn’s ranking as a top public university and touted the school’s broader economic impact to Connecticut.
She also expressed some optimism that the school didn’t face deeper cuts. In September, the legislature approved a budget that would have cut state funding for the university by $309 million. Malloy vetoed that budget.
Among the projects that will delayed as a result of the recently approved budget cuts is a planned $85 million renovation to the 285,000 square foot Grant science building and the construction of a new science complex, Herbst said.
