SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington State University may eliminate some of its majors after the state proposed a budget cut of $20 million.
The 3% cut would add to $50 million WSU has already lost over the past five years. If approved, the university would have lost $70 million total.
WSU President Dr. Elizabeth Cantwell said the school is looking at majors with very few students.
“Where do we have programs where we have enrolled, we do have some, no more than 2-5 students per year for the past four years. So where is the demand not really there anymore?” Cantwell said.
The university offers about 200 majors. Students already enrolled in cut programs would still be able to finish their degrees.
Previous cuts have already forced WSU to reduce administrative staff and close the Autism and Neuro-development Clinic at the Spokane campus last year.
Cantwell said less state money means fewer programs or fewer faculty in future years. She expects more cuts ahead, making it harder to balance the budget.
The WSU president plans to meet with state legislators in Olympia to argue against the cuts. She said the university brings value to Washington.
“We provide $4 billion of additional value to the State of Washington every year. We return $12 for every dollar spent on the university,” Cantwell said.
Other state universities face similar cuts. Eastern Washington University would lose 1.5% of its funding. The University of Washington would see a 3% cut.
A University of Washington spokesperson said the cuts would hurt students.
“Given last year’s cuts and rising costs, the prospects of taking more cuts and getting fewer resources this year will ultimately affect our ability to educate and support our students,” the spokesperson said.
The University of Washington already took a 1.5% cut last year and wants to keep funding at current levels instead of cutting more.
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