President Emmert has sent an open letter to the UW Community regarding the just-passed state budget, its effect on the university, and how we will begin to implement the budget reductions. As President Emmert notes in his letter, the reductions we must deal with are unprecedented and dramatic:
Over the weekend, the Legislature completed the unenviable task of writing and passing a biennial budget during the worst economic period in decades. Any budget that must bridge a biennial shortfall of $9 billion is bound to please no one and to result in serious consequences for the state.
For the University of Washington, the resulting budget decisions are dramatic. The bad news is that the Legislature decided to reduce state funding to the six public four-year college and universities more than any other sector in state government. The University of Washington received the highest percentage cut in all of higher education-26 percent. This is a stark and sobering number.
Beginning July 1, one quarter of our funding from the state will no longer exist. It is unprecedented in state history, and as far as we know, it is by far the largest reduction in state support to a flagship university by any state in the nation. It takes our state funding level back to where it was more than a decade ago and drops the portion of the state budget dedicated to four-year higher education to an all-time low.
The letter also addresses the tuition increases that were authorized, the budget process from here, and our commitment to manage the process with creativity and sensitivity.
I encourage all members of the University community, and supporters, to read the entire letter which is published on the President’s blog.