TOPEKA ? Several programs and 275 jobs must be eliminated at Kansas University if state policy-makers can’t find a way to fend off proposed cuts in higher education spending.
That was the warning Thursday from KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway to members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
But legislators told Hemenway the pinch on the state purse this year was tighter than it has been in decades and they saw few options to protect universities from the squeeze.
“The deficit is of historic proportions,” said Sen. Stephen Morris, R-Hugoton, and chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
He said it would take a combination of tax increases and budget cuts to bridge the shortfall.
“I don’t know if we can hold the universities and education harmless,” Morris said.
Hemenway told lawmakers the budget plan before them would mean a $15.4 million shortfall at KU for the fiscal year starting July 1.
That would be a 6.4 percent cut, “the largest one-year reduction ever proposed for the University of Kansas,” Hemenway said. “We cannot continue to suffer these kinds of losses.”
Hemenway earlier had called for lawmakers to increase taxes to help bridge the record state budget shortfall expected to exceed $426 million.
But Thursday’s briefing was the first time he provided details of how KU would cut if the proposed budget stands.
“KU is stronger than it has ever been. But in other ways, it has seldom been more vulnerable,” Hemenway said.
Lawmakers said they sympathized but didn’t offer much hope they would remedy KU’s problems with more money. Earlier, officials from Kansas State and Wichita State universities provided similar testimony.
Today, budget experts are expected to offer a revised revenue estimate that increases the state shortfall to about $600 million.
TOPEKA ? Several programs and 275 jobs must be eliminated at Kansas University if state policy-makers can’t find a way to fend off proposed cuts in higher education spending.
That was the warning Thursday from KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway to members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
But legislators told Hemenway the pinch on the state purse this year was tighter than it has been in decades and they saw few options to protect universities from the squeeze.
“The deficit is of historic proportions,” said Sen. Stephen Morris, R-Hugoton, and chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
He said it would take a combination of tax increases and budget cuts to bridge the shortfall.
“I don’t know if we can hold the universities and education harmless,” Morris said.
Hemenway told lawmakers the budget plan before them would mean a $15.4 million shortfall at KU for the fiscal year starting July 1.
That would be a 6.4 percent cut, “the largest one-year reduction ever proposed for the University of Kansas,” Hemenway said. “We cannot continue to suffer these kinds of losses.”
Hemenway earlier had called for lawmakers to increase taxes to help bridge the record state budget shortfall expected to exceed $426 million.
But Thursday’s briefing was the first time he provided details of how KU would cut if the proposed budget stands.
“KU is stronger than it has ever been. But in other ways, it has seldom been more vulnerable,” Hemenway said.
Lawmakers said they sympathized but didn’t offer much hope they would remedy KU’s problems with more money. Earlier, officials from Kansas State and Wichita State universities provided similar testimony.
Today, budget experts are expected to offer a revised revenue estimate that increases the state shortfall to about $600 million.
TOPEKA ? Several programs and 275 jobs must be eliminated at Kansas University if state policy-makers can’t find a way to fend off proposed cuts in higher education spending.
That was the warning Thursday from KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway to members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
But legislators told Hemenway the pinch on the state purse this year was tighter than it has been in decades and they saw few options to protect universities from the squeeze.
“The deficit is of historic proportions,” said Sen. Stephen Morris, R-Hugoton, and chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
He said it would take a combination of tax increases and budget cuts to bridge the shortfall.
“I don’t know if we can hold the universities and education harmless,” Morris said.
Hemenway told lawmakers the budget plan before them would mean a $15.4 million shortfall at KU for the fiscal year starting July 1.
That would be a 6.4 percent cut, “the largest one-year reduction ever proposed for the University of Kansas,” Hemenway said. “We cannot continue to suffer these kinds of losses.”
Hemenway earlier had called for lawmakers to increase taxes to help bridge the record state budget shortfall expected to exceed $426 million.
But Thursday’s briefing was the first time he provided details of how KU would cut if the proposed budget stands.
“KU is stronger than it has ever been. But in other ways, it has seldom been more vulnerable,” Hemenway said.
Lawmakers said they sympathized but didn’t offer much hope they would remedy KU’s problems with more money. Earlier, officials from Kansas State and Wichita State universities provided similar testimony.
Today, budget experts are expected to offer a revised revenue estimate that increases the state shortfall to about $600 million.
TOPEKA ? Several programs and 275 jobs must be eliminated at Kansas University if state policy-makers can’t find a way to fend off proposed cuts in higher education spending.
That was the warning Thursday from KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway to members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
But legislators told Hemenway the pinch on the state purse this year was tighter than it has been in decades and they saw few options to protect universities from the squeeze.
“The deficit is of historic proportions,” said Sen. Stephen Morris, R-Hugoton, and chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
He said it would take a combination of tax increases and budget cuts to bridge the shortfall.
“I don’t know if we can hold the universities and education harmless,” Morris said.
Hemenway told lawmakers the budget plan before them would mean a $15.4 million shortfall at KU for the fiscal year starting July 1.
That would be a 6.4 percent cut, “the largest one-year reduction ever proposed for the University of Kansas,” Hemenway said. “We cannot continue to suffer these kinds of losses.”
Hemenway earlier had called for lawmakers to increase taxes to help bridge the record state budget shortfall expected to exceed $426 million.
But Thursday’s briefing was the first time he provided details of how KU would cut if the proposed budget stands.
“KU is stronger than it has ever been. But in other ways, it has seldom been more vulnerable,” Hemenway said.
Lawmakers said they sympathized but didn’t offer much hope they would remedy KU’s problems with more money. Earlier, officials from Kansas State and Wichita State universities provided similar testimony.
Today, budget experts are expected to offer a revised revenue estimate that increases the state shortfall to about $600 million.
