University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan shares reassuring news on budget issues with the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming
at the Tuesday senate meeting.
University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan shared encouraging news on improving projections for state revenue, which could translate into fewer cuts in the future at the university.
In a question and answer session with the Associated Students of the University of Wyoming, Buchanan gave a snapshot of the future when he answered senators’ lingering questions.
Questions about what to expect as far as budget cuts topped on the list, both for ASUW and campus as a whole. Buchanan assured the ASUW members that ASUW’s funding was not up for grabs in the ongoing budget cut discussions because its funds come from a separate funding pool.
Buchanan shared that the situation is looking better than it did last year.
“It’s not as grim as it might have been, but it’s still not the most rosy of pictures,” he said.
Last year, the Wyoming Legislature requested plans for budget cuts from all state agencies, the University of Wyoming included. Cuts ranged in severity from 8 percent to 4 percent. The cuts were based on weak projections from the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, the quarterly projection upon which the state allocates funding.
“It is those estimates that will drive whether or not the governor asks for a budget reduction from all state agencies,” Buchanan said.
According to the state revenue projections released yesterday, the dollar flow may be $80 million higher than anticipated.
“I think the folks that were projecting real serious doom and gloom in terms of the state economy, that does not seem to be bearing out,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan was not sure whether the unanticipated revenue will be sufficient to moderate the 8 percent budget reduction, or perhaps 6 percent or 4 percent.
“I’m at least a little bit hopeful now that if we do see reductions, it won’t be the magnitude we’ve been talking about,” Buchanan said.
He expected the university will have more clarity on the issue in two to three months.
The university president also said the next priority for renovations of existing buildings are first for the engineering building and next for the humanities departments in Hoyt Hall.
“If we’re going to produce both the volume and the quality of students we’re going to need in the 21st Century, we’re not going to do that with 1940s facilities,” Buchanan said.
