To view the salary database, click here. A month after students received an ominous broadcast e-mail warning about mid-year budget cuts, the University’s financial situation has proved to be a mixed bag of little victories among grim predictions.LSU’s main campus in Baton Rouge is dealing with about $10.3 million in budget cuts for the fiscal year ending June 30 and expects more for next year. The national recession and declining state revenue have produced a $341 million shortfall in the state’s $30 billion operating budget, passing a blow to higher education throughout Louisiana.Other Southeastern Conference public universities are going through similar mid-year budget cuts. The University of Alabama System is facing a $15.8 million cut while the University System of Georgia is dealing with a $29.7 million budget reduction in October. The University of Florida will see no mid-year budget cuts while the University of South Carolina System is dealing with a $52 million budget cut ordered in December. The LSU System — which includes 11 LSU institutions — faces $29 million in mid-year cuts. Gov. Bobby Jindal, whose mid-year budget cut plans were approved Friday by members of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, originally told public colleges and universities to expect a spending reduction of $109 million for this fiscal year — an approximate $17 million cut for the University. Jindal instead recommended a $55 million trim in spending. Community and technical colleges and LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center will see no cuts. “It’s easier than it would have been at 17 million, but it still isn’t easy,” Chancellor Michael Martin said. To account for the $10.3 million in cuts, academic units on campus are being asked to reduce their operating budgets by an average of 1.5 percent and non-academic units by an average of 2.5 percent, Martin said. The University will not fill many faculty and staff vacancies as well.John Lombardi, LSU System president, said students probably won’t notice the budget cuts as they return to class today.”The campus has already spent the money to start the semester — hired the faculty, got [students] enrolled in classes,” Lombardi said. “Most of the things that are going to be taken away are things that would’ve enhanced the semester.”For instance, the University is cutting back on travel, renovations and acquisitions. These “one-time” changes are relatively small considering what larger, permanent budget cuts could bring — like higher student fees, reduced course offerings and layoffs. Martin said no class cancellations this semester were specifically because of budget cuts. He said the University is taking every measure to protect the “academic core,” protect jobs and continue progress toward the completion of the Flagship Agenda.”If we have to do something more draconian, we will do it in such a way that the last thing we touch is the academic excellence at the core,” Martin said. The Jindal administration estimates a $2 billion shortfall for the state next fiscal year. “We ride with the economy — especially in the public universities that depend on state appropriations which, in turn, depend on the condition of the economy,” Lombardi said.Awaiting the next state revenue forecast and Jindal’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year beginning July 1, Martin said he will argue two main points. The first is for the protection of the state’s flagship university.”It’s critical to the long-term economic and social development of the state,” Martin said. Secondly, Martin points to the state’s “rainy-day fund” as a resource for the funding. “The state is sitting on some surplus, and they’re trying to keep it for the worst of all circumstances,” Martin said. “We may be approaching that, and I’m going to argue to the governor and others that before you do harm to institutions like ours, we ought to think carefully about how to prevent that for the longest possible time.”Martin said he expects to know more specifics about next year’s budget by mid-February. He met with University deans and unit leaders Wednesday to go over budget cuts by department. Martin, who has a doctorate in economics, is forecasting a recovery of the economy in the third quarter of 2009.”If I’m right, or even close to right, then maybe this will be relatively painless in the next fiscal year,” Martin said. But he and other University officials are still bracing for the possibility of more budget cuts for next year.”l think that while you certainly worry about this year … we really need to keep our eye focused on the next round [of cuts] because it’s the next round that — if it’s large enough of a problem — could permanently change the character of the campus,” Lombardi said.—-Contact Kyle Bove at [email protected]