University of New Orleans Chancellor Timothy Ryan told the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday that the university is facing financial problems and is considering proposals to cut faculty.
The Appropriations Committee reviewed the portion of the proposed budget that affects higher education and received input from Ryan and LSU System President William Jenkins about the problems facing the New Orleans institution.
Joe Savoie, commissioner of higher education, said 90 percent of New Orleans institutions’ enrollment was from the New Orleans metro area, and many students are facing problems with housing and employment when trying to return to school.
Savoie said that because of these problems, UNO is having difficulty returning the to enrollment levels it had before Hurricane Katrina.
Ryan said the current proposal to reduce employment size would include laying off 40 faculty members and 58 full-time staff members.
The proposed budget is $4.4 million less than was given to UNO last year, an 8.12 percent reduction from the 2005-2006 budget before hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
UNO is also projecting that it will receive $10.7 million less in student fees and tuition – a 14.92 percent drop.
Overall, the institution will suffer an 11.78 percent overall reduction in funds.
However, the budget includes $10 million to be distributed by the Board of Regents in the event the university has higher enrollment than expected.
 
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