Layoffs are a likely ingredient in the university's recipe for combating a forthcoming $5-million state funding cut, MSU officials say.
"This is all in the wake of the challenges presented to us," MSU spokesman Terry Denbow said. "Each college and administration will be addressing their budget mandate."
Cuts will be announced by way of an executive order from Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who faces a $158-million deficit. Included in budget reductions is a 1.5-percent cut for state funded universities.
Officials, faculty and students met Wednesday to discuss the likely elimination of Department of Agricultural Engineering, which includes the biosystems engineering major. Under the plan, students would be dispersed among other units in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
"Staff and other positions could be affected," said Jeffrey Armstrong, dean of College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He added nontenured staff "could be laid off."
Facing a shrinking budget, Armstrong said he is open to suggestions to save the department.
Armstrong's department isn't the only one making tough decisions.
Barbara Reeves, president of the Clerical-Technical Union of MSU, said she is preparing for layoffs in departments across campus.
"A lot of our job is to ease anxiety," she said. "Things do not look bright for a while, and they're going to get worse before they better."
The College of Natural Science, the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Letters are using retirements to cope with budget woes.
"Somewhere around 40 percent of our staff is age 55 and older," said George Leroi, dean of College of Natural Science. "There are retirements all the time and as people retire, their positions will remain open."
That means the remaining faculty will inherit extra work and outstanding money woes, he said. "State universities are no longer state-supported, they are state-assisted," he added.
But College of Engineering Dean Janie Fouke said budget restraints can be positive. "A budget crisis will force you to do something that you really needed to do anyway," she said.
The engineering college isn't expecting layoffs, but if cuts are needed faculty positions will be reduced, Fouke added.
College of Arts and Letters Dean Wendy Wilkins said the college will shrink in the next few years, but without faculty layoffs.
But for some students, reduced funding means reduced quality.
"The program would basically be a joke," biosystems engineering graduate student Sharon Vennix said.
Vennix, who studies in the Department of Agriculture Engineering, is concerned with prospective employers looking unfavorably at students graduating from a crumbling program.
"Why would a land grant university want to cut out an ag engineering department?" said Vennix, who graduates in May. "It doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever."
Armstrong addressed students' concerns that his departments' family feeling could disappear with changes.
"I understand where the students are coming from because they see we are cutting the programs," he said.
"Our budget is so bad, we're going to disrupt department unit families."
Amy Bartner can be reached at bartnera@msu.edu.
Kelli Cynecki can be reached at cyneckik@msu.edu.
