July 9, 2009

University of Kansas officials says the school is responding to a drop in state aid by freezing or eliminating positions, offering few classes and reducing staff.

Interim Chancellor Barbara Atkinson told a forum Wednesday that
the school is being forced to respond to $32 million in lost
funding. A later budget cut increased the loss to more than $36
million.

The university campus in Lawrence is operating with 121 fewer
people. That includes 55 faculty positions that have been frozen,
but Atkinson acknowledged that number is probably low.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will offer about 75
fewer classes in the fall, and have 25 fewer graduate teaching
assistants.

Seventy-nine positions have been eliminated at the University of
Kansas Medical Center, with another 363 positions shifted to
outside funding sources.

And, for the third time since 1972, university employees will
not get regular merit salary increases.