WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University is at the bone and nearing the marrrow with budget cuts, the \president of the faculty union said. Jennifer Chernega said in an interview with the Winona Post that year after year of budget cuts can’t continue: “At some point, we can’t keep doing what we’re doing with fewer and fewer resources.” The latest cuts, about 2% of the university budget, are set to kick in for the coming school year. Chernega commended university administrators for maintaining courses and programs, but leaving 14 faculty positions vacant and eliminating them, she said, is going to have an impact on some programs. “At least the cuts preserve programs as they are for the time being,” she said. Among ways that academic departments are adapting to the cuts:
> Increasing class sizes. So much for Plato’s ideal 1:1 teacher-student ratio.
> Combining some sections, which complicates student scheduling option.
> Reducing course frequency, which affects students’ four-year graduation plans.
Earlier: WSU poised to delete 15 faculty jobs
Chernega. Frets about further cuts.