Despite cuts, higher education officials working to preserve quality

The state's institutions of higher education are struggling to come to grips with the reality of a 15 percent budget cut equaling nearly $122 million, but they are intending to not cut out on the quality of education in Utah.

"We intend to keep students front and center in all of this," said Commissioner of Higher Education William A. Sederburg. He said that Utah's 152,000 students are entitled to the same efficient system they started with, however looming personnel cuts and layoffs at every school may threaten the quality of higher education long-term.

Institutions can't stop serving students mid-semester and classes must go on being taught, said University of Utah Vice President David Pershing.

"People like me are expendable, faculty are not," he said, after saying administrators, too, are facing reductions with the most recent projections of additional budget cuts.

"Although the situation is not particularly bright this year, at the same time, I don't think the sky has completely fallen," said Higher Education Appropriations Committee Co-chairman Rep. Kory Holdaway, R-Taylorsville.

Hundreds of higher education jobs would be compromised in light of the upcoming cuts, as well as elimination of entire programs and course offerings throughout the state. Tuition increases are inevitable as well as fewer scholarships and on-campus jobs.

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