Facts: Chancellor Woodson addressed the University Tuesday about N.C. State possibly facing a steep budget cut of 15 percent. Last year universities in North Carolina were asked to plan a budget with a five, 10 and 15 percent cut to prepare for this year’s possible budget cuts. Woodson’s goals focus on consolidation and reallocation of University resources to deal with the issue now and in the future.

Opinion: There is nothing the University or administration can do about the state budget cuts but brace for the worst. Provost Warwick Arden, the chief academic officer, and Vice Chancellor Charlie Leffler, the chief financial officer, have been charged to plan how the relocation happens but they need to tread lightly around academics so the quality of students’ education is not affected by the economy.

Yesterday local press splashed the news of that N.C. State was cutting departments across their front pages. This certainly incited some panic as the news focused on cutting degrees and programs.  According to Chancellor Woodson, we are looking at a budget cut of around 15 percent and there seems to be little chance of avoiding it.

Chancellor Woodson made it clear in the video that responsibility of dealing with budget cuts lies with Provost Warwick Arden and the Vice Chancellor Charlie Leffler and that puts them in a position of great accountability. Arden and Leffler need to undertake the restructuring of the University very seriously and need to put careful thought into how they balance our and our future peers’ academic needs.

Arden and Leffler need to develop an intelligent strategy to redesign the smaller courses and degree programs at the University. This strategy should take the value and resources of each department or course into consideration before cutting or consolidating them. They need to evaluate the merits and demerits of a department or course before actually concluding how to deal with it, for the sake of students and faculty. Reducing these programs is going to be painful for both students, who may lose class options, and faculty members, who may lose their jobs.

If Woodson’s goals are implemented, they will help N.C. State stay a viable, affordable University in the future. We expect that Arden and Leffler have the responsibility to uphold the academic strength and standards of N.C. State should not be compromised. Students need to be allowed to provide feedback and input into the process.

There are many talented faculty members at the University with various areas of expertise. We need to capitalize on their expertise. Arden and Leffler should make sure professors teach revamped courses, designed in a way that students can get the most benefit from these classes and their professors. Arden and Leffler need to understand that losing faculty members will not work in our favor, and ensure that we retain as many of them as possible to benefit students.

We expect transparency from the Arden and Leffler. As students need to be involved in any decision that affects us. We expect to hear from them an update every week about implemented and planned actions revolving around the University’s restructuring.

The budget cuts do not need to be a bad thing for the University in the long run. With right actions and proper planning, budget cuts can transform this University into an efficient unit benefiting future students. Most positive changes happen in times of adversity and together we can go through this and emerge as a highly competitive institution, impacting the future of our state in a better way.