Logan • Utah State University announced late last week that it will slash instructional and administrative functions to make up for budget cuts imposed by the state Legislature.
In the Friday announcement, interim President Alan Smith said a 1.5% budget cut approved during the 2024 legislative session will result in a $4.8 million reduction for the Logan-based university by July 1. He added that the recently passed HB265, which further decreased the school’s budget by $12.5 million, necessitates significant financial adjustments.
“Together, these laws directly impact our university community,” Smith wrote in an email to all students and faculty.
The dollars are not permanently cut, he added, but the school is required to reallocate them with a focus on “strategic instructional priorities that meet state needs.” Over the next couple of years, he said, the university will get to use some of the money being cut from its budget to finish up programs that will be discontinued.
Smith added that university will work closely with the Utah Board of Higher Education to draft a strategic reinvestment plan — something the board hopes to have standards and guidance for by the end of March.
USU, Smith said, will offer a university-wide voluntary buyout before considering layoffs. The program will open March 17 and close May 2 at 5 p.m.
“Developing and implementing the strategic reinvestment plan will mean difficult decisions and significant changes in some areas of our university,” Smith said. “I well understand the concern and anxiety this raises and assure you that we are centering the long-term health of our institution — which is first and foremost comprised of talented and committed people — as we proceed with the planning process.”
