In a press release sent out Thursday morning detailing budget cuts to compensate for Youngstown State University’s $6.6 million deficit, YSU President Randy Dunn announced the elimination of all discretionary spending, reducing operating budgets, reducing technology spending, reducing energy spending across campus and laying off five full-time and four part-time non-faculty employees.
The budget cuts are effective immediately.
The press release also stated that the university planned on an increased enrollment for the Spring 2014 semester, which will generate $315,000 in additional revenue.
YSU Institutional Research does not show an increase in enrollment from fall to spring semesters in their online records, which include enrollment numbers from the summer 2008 semester to fall 2013.
In early September, Dunn said in a Jambar interview that he wanted “to protect as much as I can — our academic support services, student services, and our people.”
However, Dunn stated in Thursday’s press release that the university had reached a “critical crossroads”.
“These actions, developed through an extensive, six-week contingency planning process, are necessary to balance the fiscal year 2014 budget and to begin to address the structural challenges we have in the university’s revenue-and-spending model,” Dunn said.
More information will be available in Tuesday’s issue of The Jambar.
