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December 3, 2008
For Immediate Release

Utah Valley University Adjusts to $2.7 Million Budget Reduction

Administrators at Utah Valley University have adjusted operations to accommodate a reduction in tax funds of 4 percent, or more than $2.7 million. The reduction was approved by the Legislature during a special session called in late September to address budget shortfalls due to the slumping economy.

The reduction is especially difficult because it comes at a time when enrollment is growing significantly at Utah’s newest university. Enrollment at UVU ballooned to 26,696 in fall 2008, up from 23,305 the previous year. UVU serves its burgeoning student population while receiving the fewest tax dollars per student of any public institution of higher learning in the state.

"UVU is committed to its goals of access, quality, student success and community engagement," notes Interim President Liz Hitch, "but these goals are harder to achieve when experiencing the ‘perfect storm’ of significant enrollment growth coupled with state budget cuts."

With enrollment expected to continue trending upward, administrators at UVU carefully considered the institution’s strategic directions, including commitment to academic quality and student access, when identifying areas to cut back.

Leaders from across campus offered budget recommendations, and those proposals underwent extensive internal review. Areas of reduction for the current year (2008-2009) include:

• Carry-forward balance reductions of approximately 30%
• Elimination of eight salaried positions (five staff, two faculty, one executive)
• Temporary use of lecturer faculty in tenure-track faculty positions
• Shift of three positions from appropriated to non-appropriated funds
• Reduction of facilities hourly staff and services
• Recapture budget to bid savings for remodel of Student Success Center
• Reduction of current, travel and/or capital budgets

Areas of reduction for 2009-2010 include:

• Elimination of 15 additional salaried positions (five staff, 10 faculty)
• Use of lecturer faculty in tenure-track faculty positions
• Transfer two academic programs to SLCC/MATC
• Shift of three additional positions from appropriated to non-appropriated funds
• Reduction of hourly faculty, staff, and services
• Reduction of current, travel, capital, fuel and/or power budgets

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. called a special legislative session in September to address a $272 million gap in the state’s $13 billion budget, the result of weak revenues from collections on items such as income and sales tax due to the soft economy. UVU has maintained throughout the budget discussion that it is willing to shoulder a fair share of responsibility in addressing the budget concerns. UVU has also held that it would be imprudent to place unnecessary burden on higher education since Utah’s economic vitality relies so heavily on the higher education system to fuel the economic engine and produce skilled workers.

UVU's economic impact:

• Contributes about $300 million to Utah County's economy
• Return of $6.22 for every state dollar given to UVU
• 87 percent of graduates remain in Utah

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College Marketing Contact:
Erin Spurgeon
(801) 863-6807

Written by:
Brad Plathow
(801) 863-7149