The university will cut an additional $4.3 million, or 1.5 percent, from its budget after an announcement made in December by Gov. Chet Culver.

When added to the earlier mid-year budget cut announcement made in November, the total cuts in the budget will equal $7.2 million, said President Gregory Geoffroy, in an e-mail sent out to faculty and staff members on Dec. 31. He also sent an e-mail to the student body explaining the cuts on Saturday.

“After evaluating a variety of options, we have decided to distribute the 1.5 percent budget reductions directly to the university units that receive state appropriations and let each unit leader decide how best to make the reductions within their units,” Geoffroy said.

The proposed solutions may affect the availability of professors, advisers and other staff members, as well as class sizes, said Elizabeth Hoffman , executive vice president and provost.

One solution is for members of the university to take unpaid leaves, said  Warren Madden, vice president for business and finance.

So far,  28 senior administrators agreed to take five-day unpaid leaves, or furloughs, Madden said. The estimated savings from the furloughs will total about $130,000.

“We are currently working on communication to faculty and staff about the furloughs,” he said.

Professors cannot choose to take a furlough during a time they are scheduled to teach a class, Madden said.

The furloughs may adversely affect students, Hoffman said, as students may not be able to meet with their professors or adviser during their regular office hours.

What is a furlough?

A furlough occurs when an employee takes unpaid leave from work. University officials have decided to help deal with the latest mid-year budget cut by allowing administrators, along with faculty and staff members, to take a five-day furlough. However, professors cannot take a furlough during a time they are scheduled to teach a class.

“Some offices may be a little understaffed,” she said. “Students must be patient.”

Madden said it is the responsibility of each department to decide when faculty and staff can take time off.

Not filling vacant positions is another option for the university to deal with the budget cuts, he said. Custodial and grounds maintenance positions are an example of areas that might experience unfilled positions.

“It may take a little longer to clear sidewalks and streets,” Madden said.

Despite the large mid-year budget cuts, students should not be worried.

“The university’s priority is to continue to meet the instructional needs of students,” Madden said.

Hoffman is currently working on the budget for fiscal year 2010 and taking the current budget cuts into consideration.

The amounts of financial aid students receive will not be reduced, Madden said.

“The important thing is to protect the academic success of students,” Hoffman said.

Scholarships will still go to the most deserving students, she said.

She is finding a large amount of uncertainty surrounding the future budget of the university.

“Things are really up in the air at this time,” she said. “How successful we are really depends on how much we get cut.”

Students may notice fewer small-enrollment classes offered, though the small classes scheduled for the spring 2009 semester will not be eliminated, she said.

“There will be fewer smaller classes, but that will be more likely to be seen in 2010,” Hoffman said.

To help assist in the process of determining how to deal with the next fiscal year’s budget, the university is asking for suggestions from faculty and staff members as well as students.

“We are in the process of collecting ideas and assessing which ideas are possible,” Hoffman said.

The most common suggestion is the university needs to reorganize things, meaning parts of the university that are inefficient, she said.

“We have a very lean administration,” Hoffman said, due to the actions taken after the last budget cut the university experienced.

Previous Budget Woes

Jan. 2000 — Gov. Tom Vilsack ordered a $1.3 million mid-year budget reduction.

Oct. 2001 — Iowa State announced a plan to cut approximately $18.5 million in another mid-year governor-ordered cutback that led to layoffs, positions that were not filled and other cost reductions.

Fiscal year 2003 — Two budget reductions totaling $31 million

Nov. 2003 — President Geoffroy reported to the Board of Regents that over a four-year period, Iowa State had absorbed more than $100 million in budget cuts and cost increases. Geoffroy pointed out to the regents that the appropriation from the state at that time was equivalent to the level of state funding in 1996.

Spring 2004 — President Geoffroy decided salary increases proposed for fiscal year 2005 would be funded through reallocations of university funds — there was no increase in state appropriations for fiscal year 2005.

State appropriations for Iowa State improved for fiscal years 2007, 2008 and 2009 — prior to the two recently ordered cutbacks.

— Information from John McCarroll, executive director of university relations

Those participating in 5-day furlough

University administrators

Christopher Ahoy — associate vice president for facilities planning and management

James Bernard — interim dean of the College of Engineering

Charlotte Bronson — associate vice president for research and economic development

Pamela Cain — associate vice president for business and finance

Susan Carlson — associate provost for faculty advancement and diversity

James Davis — vice provost for information technology and chief information officer

Mark Engelbrecht — dean of the College of Design

Carla Espinoza — associate vice president for human resource services

Gregory Geoffroy — president

Elizabeth Hoffman — executive vice president and provost

Todd Holcomb — associate vice president for student affairs

David Holger — associate provost for academic programs

Mary Holz-Klaus — interim associate vice president for ISU Extension and Outreach

Tom Hill — vice president for student affairs

Labh Hira — dean of the College of Business

Kathleen Jones — assistant vice president for enrollment

Warren Madden — vice president for business and finance

Olivia Madison — dean of Parks Library

Terry Mason — assistant vice president for student affairs

Arlo Meyer — assistant vice president for business services

Theodore Okiishi — interim vice president for research and economic development

Jack Payne — vice president for ISU Extension and Outreach

Chitra Rajan — assistant vice provost for research

Ellen Rasmussen — associate vice president for budget and planning

John Thomson — dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine

Pamela White — interim dean of the College of Human Sciences

Michael Whiteford — dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Wendy Wintersteen — dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Athletic department

Bill Fennelly — women’s basketball coach

Greg McDermott — men’s basketball coach

Jamie Pollard — athletic director

Paul Rhoads — football coach