UNR facing program, job losses next year

RENO -- Milton Glick, president of the University of Nevada, Reno, warned students, faculty and staff that more programs and jobs will be eliminated next year.

At a town hall meeting Monday, Glick said $35 million must be cut from UNR's 2009-10 budget.

Reductions totaling $25 million have been proposed, but another $10 million in cuts must be found, he said.

"We have no surprises in the chute," Glick said, adding that officials will try to keep staff and departments informed before decisions are made.

Glick said the university system is suffering with other state agencies and does not expect special treatment.

"We can't be healthier than K-12," he said, adding, "and we have to feed the poor and help the sick."

Provost Marc Johnson said the plan to cut $3 million from UNR centers and institutions has included getting reports from directors to see whether they can maintain operations with less state funding.

"Some of these have been anguished conversations," he said. "There are layoffs involved."

Officials are looking at combining courses, offering other classes less often and offering some graduate courses every other year.

"We are reducing the flexibility of our students in getting courses, but we are not reducing the capability of our students to graduate on time," Johnson said.