Source:  PRESS RELEASE, 6/2/11

Gov. Perdue today released the following information about the devastating cuts to the University system if the Senate budget passes.

She also expressed concern that legislative leaders refuse to consider the one choice that protects education for K-12, community colleges and universities – extending a portion of the sales tax.

Estimates are the sales tax would cost on average 23 cents a day or $7 a month for the average North Carolinian.

That’s an investment worth making to protect the hallmark of North Carolina – our education system.

The data:
•         The UNC Board of Governor’s approved an average 6.8% tuition increase in 2011-12 for North Carolina undergraduates.  
•         From 2006-07 to 2011-12 (last five years) resident tuition has increased 47% (from $2,275 average in 2006-07 to $3,349 average in 2011-12).

•The  proposed Management Flexibility cut of $414 million (16.0% average) will have the following impacts:
  Long-term permanent structural damage to the university system.  
  Long-term adverse impact on North Carolina’s economic development.
  Eliminates at least 3,200 positions including 1,500 faculty.
  More filled than vacant positions will be eliminated.
• These cuts will likely lead to the elimination of faculty and staff positions, the closure of programs and higher waiting lists for critical workforce training programs.  
• Middle income families send their children to schools in the UNC system.
• We are taxing those families and making higher education harder to come by.

• Approximately 9,000 fewer course sections would be offered (240,000 Class Seats). For example:
•         950 at ASU
•         630 at NCA&T
•         1,030 at NCSU

Campus-specific impacts of a 15% cut include:
•         UNCC estimates that the average time to degree for students could increase by a full semester.
•         WCU would have to eliminate 63 faculty positions (11% of all faculty), resulting in the loss of an estimated 147 courses per semester and 3,600 fewer classroom seats.
•         WSSU would have to eliminate 9% of their faculty (38 positions).
•         NCSU would have to eliminate six fire protection and police positions (9% of total), impacting crime prevention and front-line public safety support to the university.
•         UNCG would have to eliminate 18 facilities operations positions (7% of total) negatively impacting service response times and cleanliness of classrooms, restrooms and campus common areas.
•         Position eliminations at UNC-CH’s Admissions Office would necessitate closing the office two days per week from November 1 through March 31 in order to properly review applications.
•         NCCU would have to eliminate 12 positions in critical infrastructure areas (Finance, HR, IT) adversely impacting service to students, faculty and staff; and increasing risk for non-compliance.
•         ASU would have to eliminate financial aid and loan staff which is compounded by the increase in students with financial need requirements.
•         ECU’s library cuts would directly impact student learning and faculty research due to limited books purchases and cancellations of core journal and database subscriptions.