A pattern of midyear budget slices at the University continued for the fifth time today when Interim System President and Chancellor William “Bill” Jenkins announced that the University will take a $3.4 million midyear budget cut.

“The tuition revenue associated with greater enrollment will offset the effects of a mid-year cut on basic services, so individual units on campus will not be asked to reduce their budgets,” Jenkins said in a broadcast email. “Unfortunately, this mid-year cut results in a loss of funds for LSU that would otherwise be available for additional services to support an expanding student body.”

The University felt its first midyear reduction in January 2009, and midyear budget slices – sometimes two in a row – have followed every year since. Last year’s midyear cut of $8.1 million caused the University to trim each academic unit by $2.5 million and each non-academic unit by $3.2 million.

University leaders must submit a budget reduction plan to the LSU System Office by Friday, Dec. 21.

Midyear cuts are especially difficult for the University to digest if they become annualized, or turn into permanent budget shortages.

“A budget is a commitment of resources,” Robert Kuhn, vice provost and associate vice chancellor of Budget and Planning, said after last year’s midyear cut. “When you have a midyear cut, you’re breaking or violating this commitment.”