UF would lay off about 140 faculty and staff under the 10-percent budget proposals that have been released by its colleges so far.
The proposals from UF's 16 colleges and 13 administrative units are due to UF Provost Joe Glover today, though some may come in a little late, Glover said.
Fourteen colleges have released their proposals, or drafts of them, so far.
The College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences had not released their proposals as of Tuesday afternoon. No proposals for administrative units, which include the offices of the president and provost, could be obtained.
The number of people who would be laid off under the proposals is only one measure of how many people could lose their jobs if UF has to cut its state-funded budget by 10 percent, or $72 million to $75 million. There are also dozens of temporary faculty, such as adjunct faculty members or visiting professors, as well as graduate assistants and student workers whose contracts would not be renewed, all of which do not count as layoffs. After most of the proposals are turned in today, and stragglers submit theirs over the next few days, Glover said his office will begin analyzing the data and prioritizing the possible cuts. In mid-April the proposals will be officially announced to the public and published on UF's budget Web site. This will usher in a period of public comment that lasts until mid-May, when UF President Bernie Machen must present the budget to the Board of Trustees for a final vote.
Details of the proposals for the colleges of Law, Pharmacy and Public Health and Health Professions were obtained Monday and Tuesday. The law college, which would have to cut about $2 million, would be spared any layoffs because its plan calls for the college to surrender about $600,000 in tuition money next year.
Since the college is graduate-only, it can charge all of its students extra tuition on top of state-set tuition. It will also use almost $600,000 of the differential tuition money to fund faculty positions currently funded by the state. Four vacant faculty and staff positions would be cut and one visiting lecturer position would not be renewed. Other cuts, such as those to operating expenses and library subscription fees, would possibly be funded by tuition money as well, said Dean Robert Jerry.
The College of Pharmacy's proposal also avoids layoffs and academic program cuts by giving back differential tuition money to the tune of $1.2 million.
The College of Public Health and Health Professions' proposal includes a possible merger with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Under the proposal, the college would cut $1.1 million from its own budget and almost $700,000 from CSD. The plan includes eight layoffs, eliminates six vacant positions and would close the Rehab Counseling Division. Other cuts include those to operating costs and finding new sources of funding for faculty.
